tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28554082050878805722018-07-15T12:16:01.018-07:00The SpringboardOPINION, MONEY, NEWS, POLITICS AND THE OCCASSIONAL RANDOM THOUGHTJim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.comBlogger327125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-83908284554942304422018-04-07T13:02:00.001-07:002018-04-07T13:02:55.395-07:00Stranger Things<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T8YU3brvYFc/Wskj1bItiJI/AAAAAAAABes/d5rOXpHhjNU_kNpNHgz6vs5l4w2Eh2EPwCLcBGAs/s1600/thriftstoredoll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="533" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T8YU3brvYFc/Wskj1bItiJI/AAAAAAAABes/d5rOXpHhjNU_kNpNHgz6vs5l4w2Eh2EPwCLcBGAs/s200/thriftstoredoll.jpg" width="110" /></a></div><b><i>DON'T TAKE ME THE WRONG WAY, I LOVE A THRIFT STORE AS MUCH AS THE NEXT GUY.</i></b> I mean, half my wardrobe is honestly from a thrift store, and it is not because I can't afford to buy new clothes—part of my personal wealth can be closely attributed to my<i> not</i> buying new stuff.<br /><br />There are times, though, when I walk into a thrift store, that I am left scratching my head a bit. The thought comes to mind as I peruse the racks and shelves, ""Why would anyone donate this?" And then, even if someone<b><i> did</i></b> donate this, what moron decided to actually put it onto the shelf and not into the dumpster where it probably rightfully belongs.<br /><br /><b><i>OR,</i></b> maybe I am missing something altogether.<b><i> Maybe</i></b> someone out there may actually buy the thing on the shelf you truly believe is fit for nothing but the landfill.<br /><br />Like this doll, for example. I mean, not only is its face crushed, but it is missing half of its hair which has of course filled the bag, and made this thing into some creepy, hairy monster. I<b><i> do</i></b> recall that old show by Ray Bradbury where he would look around the room and think, "What shall I write about today?" Perhaps old Ray would have bought this doll, brought her into his studio, and decided to find a story to write about it.<br /><br />Either way, I thought it was a funny find, and definitely fits within the category of "random thoughts," which is part of the description of this here blog.<br /><br />Who the<b><i> hell</i></b> thought this was a keeper? Moreover, who in the hell would actually buy it?Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-44572415891636500242018-04-06T08:52:00.000-07:002018-04-06T08:52:54.259-07:00Quick Shout: Aluminum Prices Are Down, Not Up<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m5RVxIqNXFY/WoCJ8I7A_cI/AAAAAAAABZU/xvxYCW1XOJUEQLh-uCnBgLk3llhjSR0vgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/quickshout.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="56" data-original-width="172" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m5RVxIqNXFY/WoCJ8I7A_cI/AAAAAAAABZU/xvxYCW1XOJUEQLh-uCnBgLk3llhjSR0vgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/quickshout.png" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" lang="en">Despite the Aluminum Tariffs, Aluminum prices are DOWN 4%. People are surprised, I’m not! Lots of money coming into U.S. coffers and Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!</div>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/982214297160839173?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2018</a></blockquote><b><i>IT MAY WELL BE A SHORT TERM EVENT. IT MAY EVEN BE AN ANOMALY. REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT IS, THE FACT IS THAT ALUMINUM PRICES ARE DOWN, NOT UP, SINCE PRESIDENT TRUMP IMPOSED A 10% TARIFF ON IMPORTED ALUMINUM.</i></b><br /><br />And POTUS is right to tout this, and to point that out, as he indeed did in a recent tweet.<br /><br />I said a while back, after so much hoopla surrounding the president's decision to impose steel and aluminum tariffs that he <i>knows </i>what he is doing, <i>and </i>that when you get right down to the brass tacks of the matter...<br /><br /><b><i>Tariffs are not what this is all about. (<a href="http://springboardblog.blogspot.com/2018/03/if-you-think-steel-tariffs-are-about.html" target="_blank">If You Think Steel Tariffs Are About Steel Tariffs...You Are Missing the Point</a>)</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>It is being reported that aluminum prices are down 4% since Trump announced he would impose the tariffs. I also said that you shouldn't be surprised that not everyone <i>gets </i>what these tariffs actually wish to achieve...<br /><br /><b><i>And beware anyone selling anything made out of steel or aluminum will gouge you with no foundation whatsoever for what they are doing—that they will do this based solely on the IDEA that all tariffs are bad, and that the only logical conclusion can be that tariffs will drive prices higher.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>And yes, there <i>is </i>historical data to suggest that that could well be the case <i>if</i>&nbsp;what Trump wished to achieve was <i>only </i>to impose a tariff.<br /><br />And as I said, that's not what his intention was at all. In the most basic of terms what I said was that Trump's intent was to level the playing field, <i>force</i>&nbsp;bad players to play fair, and more importantly to <b><i>open a dialogue.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>Like I said before, <i>any </i>prices on the end product are simply false increases. <i>Reactionary </i>increases. <i>And</i>&nbsp;pure gouging. The president has this, and I think it will be clear on all fronts when all is said and done that the market will stabalize, jobs will be left intact, and all of this chatter that we're creating a trade war and sinking our own ship will prove to be...<br /><br /><b><i>A pack of jibberish.</i></b><br /><br /><br /><b><i><br /></i></b><b><i><br /></i></b><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-18335819250018057392018-03-31T16:19:00.000-07:002018-03-31T16:19:31.941-07:00An Interview With Horror Writer R.K. Finnell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VhDg5cfaeEU/Wr-O6io66lI/AAAAAAAABeM/2Qg7ZfRHzrUi_j8P3hrNzbxGHfLEXcTcACLcBGAs/s1600/rkfinnell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="268" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VhDg5cfaeEU/Wr-O6io66lI/AAAAAAAABeM/2Qg7ZfRHzrUi_j8P3hrNzbxGHfLEXcTcACLcBGAs/s200/rkfinnell.jpg" width="134" /></a></div><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">writing as Ivan S. Graves</span></i></b><br /><div><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div>I recently had the opportunity to chat a bit with horror writer R.K. Finnell about her recently released collection of short stories,<i> Grue Tales: Death by Fiction.</i> A lifelong resident of Kansas, R.K. Finnell is the author of two other books;<i> Kickshaw Candies,</i> and<i> The Plague Son.</i> Her first two books are actually part of a trilogy, and she is currently at work on the final book in the series. Primarily hailed as a writer of horror, one thing that separates her body of work from traditional horror are strong elements of fantasy which give her tales a different edge, and is honestly quite refreshing. While you will still find many of the typical creatures and haunts that live in many horror fiction books, R.K. Finnell puts a new spin on them, and makes them uniquely her own. It was a joy spending some time getting to know more about her and her writing, and I hope you will enjoy the time as well.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Q. You recently published Grue Tales, a collection of short stories. Seems like you have been writing for a long time. How far back do some of these stories go for you?</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>A: I began writing in high school but didn't consider it seriously until later in life. For me it was something I enjoyed and that I was good at, being more of a hobby at the time. I had a teacher who would always give us story writing assignments and I found myself compelled by the experience to do more writing. There was always a story in my head that needed to be put down on paper.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Q: Obviously Grue Tales is horror, but there are also elements of what I like to call dark fantasy. Did you always write in that genre, and what lead you to dark fiction?</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>A: I've always been fascinated by the horror genre from books, television and movies. It is what I grew up on, so it was naturally something I would write. I love the idea of writing stories that not only give the reader chills, but also make them think. Dark fiction lets me explore the dark thoughts in my head and share them in my writing. I can go as far as my imagination takes me and sometimes even beyond.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Q: Cillian's Story is a very dark and foreboding tale. For me, in a way, it sort of describes the craziness in the world we live in and our constant struggle to keep sanity alive and well, and perhaps even a desperate hope that humanity survives it all in the end. What was this story for you when you wrote it?</i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div>A: For me it was not only a story of survival, but also what one is willing to do for those he loves. From caring for his brain damaged Mother in Anything for Mom, to saving the lives of the children. In a way it was a tribute to the caretakers of this world who rarely get recognized for what they do and how often the duty is thrust upon them. I saw Cillian as a character who reflects what many of them go through in the challenges of adversity and what one is willing to do not only for their survival but also for those who cannot care for themselves.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Q: That's one of the things about a lot of horror fiction that a lot of people miss, and I am not trying to pigeonhole you into a genre of course—I know writers hate that. But there's a lot of compassion in the plight of most protagonists, and while evil is strong and always an element, in the end it seems mostly that good always wins over evil. Do you feel that way about your work? About your characters? Are they mostly good people, with good intent, fighting battles over the evil that exists in their lives? Do you mostly want them to win?</i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div>A: For the most part I do want good to overcome evil, but there are times when the story dictates a less pleasant outcome and evil triumphs. No matter what may show on the outside, it is the evil within that eventually shows its face. Life is not always a bed of roses and when it is, one must watch out for the thorns.<br /><br /><b><i>Q: In reading your bio, you mention a ride in a hearse when you were four years old. What was that all about?</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>A: We were at a church in Sedalia, Missouri where my grandfather was marrying his second wife. Before the wedding my sisters and I were playing outside when the man who lived next to the church backed his car out of the drive and hit me. I ended up in the hospital with a broken leg and other injuries. When it was decided to move me to a hospital closer to home in Kansas City the funeral director of a local funeral home volunteered. At that time the town only had one ambulance and they didn't want to risk there being an emergency with no ambulance available, so they packed me up surrounded by sand bags and put me in the back of the hearse. As far as I know I'm the only person to be delivered to a hospital, alive, in a hearse.<br /><br /><b><i>Q: You often say that a lot of the mainstream fiction that's out there is not so good as their sales might suggest. I tend to feel that way about music too, that there a lot of very talented musicians on the fringe that don't get the recognition they deserve. Who do you like to read, and what makes their work most interesting for you?</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>A: I have a passion for the classics, particularly Dickens and O. Henry. One of my favorite scenes in Great Expectations is the introduction of Miss Havisham. The dark melancholic description of the character and her surroundings gives one the sense that they are there right in the room and feeling all the emotions that Pip is as he stands gazing about the room. <br /><br />I get to mention my favorite book, which makes me quite happy! The Elementals by Michael McDowell. It's dark, twisted and has the great line "Eat my eyes." What horror enthusiast could resist loving it?<br /><br /><b><i>Q: How does a story usually develop for you? Many writers know the story from start to finish before the first word is ever written. Others like to let the story form its own path.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>A: For me it is getting that first sentence written. Once I have that, the story begins developing. I do often let the story and characters guide the way. Sometimes the characters have better ideas of how a story should be told. I think it is the element of surprise that even catches me off guard and makes the story more interesting.<br /><br /><b><i>Q: So, what do you have in the works right now?</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>A: I have some unfinished short stories I've been working on for a second Grue Tales book. I also have the third book of my Kickshaw Candies trilogy to finish and thinking of doing another series based on shapeshifters.<br /><br /><b><i></i></b><b><i>Q: Shapeshifters are always fun. What is this story about, and I have to admit I did not know that Kickshaw was a trilogy. What do you have in the works for either?</i></b><br /><b><i></i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>A: There are shapeshifters in the Kickshaw Candies series but they are not the main focus of the story. I'm toying with the idea right now on doing another trilogy with shapeshifters as the main focus. Where do they come from and how does one become a shapeshifter? Are they born that way or is it something else? In Grue Tales I explore the idea of shapeshifters in the story "Shift" but I want to take it further. <br /><br />The third book of the Kickshaw Candies series, The Changeling's Touch, begins where the second book, The Plague Son, left off. <br /><br /><b><i>Q: It was a joy chatting with you. In closing, I suppose aside from the books, the readers are quite an important part of any writer's pursuits. Anything you wish to say to them?</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>A:&nbsp;For all my readers and future readers, thank you. I hope you enjoy my books. Remember, whether you are reading my work or that of another author, please leave a review and let others know about books you have enjoyed.<b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><br /></div><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ac&amp;ref=qf_sp_asin_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=springboard05-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B078X237NT&amp;asins=B078X237NT&amp;linkId=791a5a7da25df531ae0bd9dabbbdd3d1&amp;show_border=false&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=false&amp;price_color=333333&amp;title_color=0066c0&amp;bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ac&amp;ref=qf_sp_asin_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=springboard05-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B004U359HW&amp;asins=B004U359HW&amp;linkId=da99158e6ea91501e9934c6a5375b778&amp;show_border=false&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=false&amp;price_color=333333&amp;title_color=0066c0&amp;bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ac&amp;ref=qf_sp_asin_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=springboard05-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B00IX2ERII&amp;asins=B00IX2ERII&amp;linkId=668f2051950bf30fa33e371ba0b535d4&amp;show_border=false&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=false&amp;price_color=333333&amp;title_color=0066c0&amp;bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"> </iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ac&amp;ref=qf_sp_asin_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=springboard05-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1941147178&amp;asins=1941147178&amp;linkId=ca4074baaaf166830966d00d068c20e9&amp;show_border=false&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=false&amp;price_color=333333&amp;title_color=0066c0&amp;bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"> </iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ac&amp;ref=qf_sp_asin_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=springboard05-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B004SRGAN2&amp;asins=B004SRGAN2&amp;linkId=9d21bed9223ceb1e1d541255ffd6c2cc&amp;show_border=false&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=false&amp;price_color=333333&amp;title_color=0066c0&amp;bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"> </iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ac&amp;ref=qf_sp_asin_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=springboard05-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=0141439564&amp;asins=0141439564&amp;linkId=3ddf9f82e96206944e7106a67f6e895e&amp;show_border=false&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=false&amp;price_color=333333&amp;title_color=0066c0&amp;bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"> </iframe><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/flvJlZ_fA70/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/flvJlZ_fA70?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><br /><br /><b><u>Links to R.K. Finnell</u></b><br /><br /><a href="https://roxanmurray.wixsite.com/rkfinnell" target="_blank">The R.K. Finnell Home Page</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/RK-Finnell-178461001244/" target="_blank">R.K. Finnell on Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://www.books2read.com/rkfinnell" target="_blank">R.K. Finnell on Books2Read</a><br /><br /><b><i>Ivan S. Graves is the former editor of the popular monthly online horror fiction magazine FrightNet Online Magazine which was published 1997-2000, and editor of the short story collection Dark Whispers.&nbsp;</i></b>Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-42010341400666694932018-03-11T09:44:00.001-07:002018-03-11T09:50:11.828-07:00Don't Let Your Money Leave You Stranded<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OuDqxc-zHQc/S_VMpOiurAI/AAAAAAAAADo/MqOSCgf0X5QQ59EfpNVhUDJDJ2AAIFpigCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/MONEY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="250" height="150" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OuDqxc-zHQc/S_VMpOiurAI/AAAAAAAAADo/MqOSCgf0X5QQ59EfpNVhUDJDJ2AAIFpigCPcBGAYYCw/s200/MONEY.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i><b>WHEN IT COMES TO MANAGING YOUR MONEY, THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE STATEMENT THAT I HAVE STRONGLY DISAGREED WITH,</b></i> and that is to just simply save it and forget it. In other words, you will hear a good many people, and<b><i> even</i></b> sometimes from certain financial advisors, to not watch the daily nuances of the markets—<br /><br /><b><i>Lest you wish to drive yourself completely insane.</i></b><br /><br />The truth is that in order for you to fully reap the rewards of any investments you may have, you really do need to keep a good tabs on what's going on with them. Yes, it can be a painful thing to watch your portfolio in the throes of its ups and downs. It can be particularly painful when there are bad days, or<b><i> strings</i></b> of bad days.<br /><br />If you go into the process of<b><i> looking</i></b> daily at what you have with the mindset that this is just the way that the market operates, and if you have done your due diligence and have confidence in what your<b><i> individual</i></b> investments hold for the long haul, the daily nuances should not have the agonizing impact that they might otherwise have.<br /><br />Going it blind, to me, just seems like a foolish way to go about things. Perhaps it is a stupid analogy. But imagine driving a car that has no gas gauge. You simply drive around having some general idea of where you need to be and how much gas is left in the tank to get you there. But you have<b><i> no idea</i></b> how much gas is actually in the tank.<br /><br />At some point or another, or at various points, you are going to find yourself on the side of the road trekking to the nearest gas station, gas can in hand, to make up for the fact that you got it wrong. You'll even be filling up when you don't need to.<br /><br />That's time, folks. And time is money. And it's a cog in the wheel that can throw your whole day off balance.<br /><br />In order to manage your finances, you need to know how much gas is in your tank so you can make wise decisions about when you need to fuel up, when it might be a good idea to pour a few extra gallons in the tank, or even when you are safe to drive a little bit longer before doing anything at all.<br /><br />But it does another thing for you when you are watching the daily nuances. It helps you to also make wise spending decisions. Look, let's be real here. We save money not only for the future. But we also save it to have it when we want it to do things.<br /><br />Watching the money and knowing exactly where you are at any particular time can help you decide if now is the time to take that vacation, or replace the car, or go out to eat one night. If I see I am up for the week, perhaps I allow myself to take a little bit of that money off the table to take it out of the bottom line and do something I want to with it. Conversely, if I am down, I'm not taking money away from it making a bad situation worse.<br /><br />Money is not the most important thing in our lives. Obviously. But it<b><i> can</i></b> certainly have an impact on the<b><i> quality</i></b> of our lives.<br /><br />Again, going into the process<b><i> knowing</i></b> the mechanics of money and markets is key, and helps us even to see a silver lining. Remember when the markets lost half their value in 2009? It was a devastating thing to watch really.<b><i> But,</i></b> having an idea that we have been to places like that before, and seeing that we not only gained it all back eventually, and then some, gives you great insight into what you need to be doing in times like those.<br /><br />You could say that back then, in 2009, the tank was running on empty. The choice would have been unwise to just keep on driving hoping you would still get to your destination. The wise choice would have been to put some gas in the car and drive a little less.<br /><br />And by comparison...<b><i>spend</i></b> a little less.<br /><br />You don't want to find yourself on the side of the road dead while all the other cars whiz past you. You want to be on the road with them, getting to the places you want to, and need to go. Pressing the gas pedal is intent to move forward. But you're going to need gas to actually make the car go. <br /><br />If you really want to reach your destination, it is best to avoid guessing whether or not you will actually have what you need to get there, or what you need to <b><i>do </i></b>in order to have some influence on whether or not you will ever actually arrive.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-8441871-11479434" target="_top"><img alt="Free Shipping + 3 Free Gifts" border="0" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-8441871-11479434" height="60" width="234" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-8441871-12407742" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-8441871-12407742" height="50" width="320" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-8441871-13169399" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-8441871-13169399" height="38" width="320" /></a>Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-71243987394161727352018-03-11T07:05:00.000-07:002018-03-11T07:51:53.682-07:00Until Death Do China And Xi Part<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sxGTDL48uCY/WqU3TLAx2ZI/AAAAAAAABds/_t--cikf_pw3vrqWtvLFtj9LiC7XQSJAACLcBGAs/s1600/greatwall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="702" height="133" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sxGTDL48uCY/WqU3TLAx2ZI/AAAAAAAABds/_t--cikf_pw3vrqWtvLFtj9LiC7XQSJAACLcBGAs/s200/greatwall.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b><i>AFTER READING ABOUT THE FINAL DECISION BY CHINESE LEADERSHIP TO PERMIT XI JINPING TO RULE INEDEFINITELY,</i></b> it should serve as another stark reminder of the benefits and built in protections of democracy, the power of the people over its government, and that this very thing is at least part of what makes America great. It is also what makes the rest of the world's democracies great. History is full of stories of tyrannical rule, iron-curtains, oppression, and diabolical plots against other countries.<br /><br />In nearly all instances throughout history, these all have come from communist regimes.<br /><br />One can only surmise, if you take history into account, that the decision to allow Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely will be fraught with disaster as this sort of thing has been proven to be so many times in the past—and<b><i> is</i></b> frankly in the present.<br /><br />While it is true that this decision by the Chinese government may not pose an immediate threat, I do think it is a development which should be closely monitored by not only our government, but the<b><i> rest of the free world.</i></b> <br /><br />We need to be asking ourselves some critical questions here. What is the direction of China's future role in the world? Do we need to be just a little bit worried about what they may be up to? How much power do they really have? And who might they pony up with in order to form a coalition of force<b><i> against</i></b> the free world?<br /><br />Imagine a world, for example, where Russia, North Korea, and China are all together on the idea of the destruction of democracy.<br /><br />The real problem with this is that China is in fact a powerful and formidable player on the world stage. It's a big country. They have money. They also have a substantial arsenal of military and weapons.<br /><br />So does Russia frankly.<br /><br /><b><i>And let's face it. You'd have to have been living under a rock to not realize that for a very long time, and perhaps throughout its entire history, China has always been a bit nefarious in its presence.</i></b><br /><br />And <b><i>so </i></b>has Russia been, even long after the fall of the former Soviet Union. That all said, I don't want to get ahead of myself or veer too far off course. We're just going to focus on China here.<br /><br />We have to understand that for all of the Chinese government's effort, while still a primarily communist country, to infuse at least<b><i> some</i></b> form of capitalism into its structure, it is still a largely oppressive government that continues to manage the lives of its people and maintain a hold on what they can do.<br /><br />Like forbidding the citizenry to speak out against the government without fear of persecution. Something that in the United States is<b><i> extremely</i></b> foreign to us. Half of us spending our days on Twitter might be dead in a country like China.<br /><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><br />Look, we often are divided about who is in power in the White House in our country. We don't always like our president. Sometimes we adore him. No matter what, we should always be thankful that in our country we have presidential term limits. We should&nbsp; be thankful for the fact that no matter who happens to occupy the White House, good or bad, their time and opportunity to rule is limited. Obviously I am a strong Trump supporter. But at no time would I ever be<b><i> for</i></b> Trump's lifelong rule. There is a reason our country began term limits, and there is a reason why, even when it causes us some trouble—Nixon, Carter, and Obama all come to mind here—our system of government works<b><i> for</i></b> the people ultimately,<b><i> and</i></b> our system of government fully allows for future presidents to undue what former presidents do if they deem it was bad policy for the country.<br /><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><br />I may well be just a little bit paranoid here. Who knows what the ultimate outcome of this decision will be? All I can do is<b><i> guess</i></b> that it poses serious potential problems using history as my guide. While Xi Jinping may be the "good" guy in this era of China's history, and may not necessarily have any bad ideas or ill intent toward his people or his country's place in the world, it does still leave the door wide open for a really bad actor to succeed him when he dies. There may be forces already in place, preparing for that when that day comes. And because the government has enough control over its people, it presents a timeline open to them to begin the process of shaping minds, and influencing the ideology of the people to inadvertently allow for another guy like Mao to enter into popularity.<br /><br />What this says to me is that at least we, the American people—the general populace—need to be a bit more suspicious of China, and need to be a bit more<b><i> aware</i></b> of what indirect contribution we may make to embolden their monetary coiffures, and fuel their ability to become an even stronger force in the world than they already are.<br /><br />It's<b><i> not</i></b> paranoia actually to think that every time I buy something made in China that I<b><i> may</i></b> unwittingly be contributing to a country that<b><i> may</i></b> have a dark, hidden interest in world domination, and <b><i>may</i></b> one day preemptively launch a major attack against a country like ours.<br /><br /><b><i>It is simply being cautionary.</i></b><br /><br />Let's face it. We can be a bit of a complacent lot here in this country. It is one of our downfalls. We view the world from<b><i> our</i></b> experiences. We see others through<b><i> our</i></b> eyes. We try to see the good in all people. And many times we also think we have the ability to<b><i> change</i></b> bad people into good people. It tends to make us turn a blind eye at times and shrug our shoulders a bit.<br /><br /><b><i>This is potentially dangerous.</i></b><br /><b></b><i></i><br />I am not saying that China<b><i> is</i></b> interested in world domination, nor am I suggesting that even Russia is. I am not saying that at the heart of this decision to allow Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely <b><i>is</i></b> to take the first step toward that end. I<b><i> am</i></b> saying that we need to keep a very close eye on this issue—and need to be very much concerned who it will be who ultimately replaces Xi Jinping at the end of his rule over there, and <b><i>be aware</i></b> of what would be <b><i>very slight </i></b>and almost invisible signs of a future major shift in what China ultimately becomes. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-8441871-11479434" target="_top"><img alt="Free Shipping + 3 Free Gifts" border="0" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-8441871-11479434" height="60" width="234" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-8441871-12407742" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-8441871-12407742" height="50" width="320" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-8441871-13169399" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-8441871-13169399" height="38" width="320" /></a>Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-51589018570638329442018-03-10T14:45:00.000-08:002018-03-10T14:52:09.922-08:00Stormy And Trump Is All Publicity, And Little Else<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z25paNFSijg/WqRePSRe_WI/AAAAAAAABdQ/-8LMk2IEbw8f21W5-GiMTT199mda_THBACLcBGAs/s1600/stormydaniels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z25paNFSijg/WqRePSRe_WI/AAAAAAAABdQ/-8LMk2IEbw8f21W5-GiMTT199mda_THBACLcBGAs/s200/stormydaniels.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><b><i>SO, LET'S JUST BE REAL HERE, SHALL WE? STORMY DANIELS IS HOT.</i></b> Not only in terms of the stories that she seems to be at the heart of lately when it comes to the latest opportunity for the left to try to damage President Donald J. Trump.<br /><br /><b><i>But, she really IS hot.</i></b><br /><br />And despite whatever thoughts even the right may have about her, I would bet my next ten paychecks that ever since the steamy story of her affair with Donald Trump hit the news, her images and her videos have probably hit the roof in web searches.<br /><br /><b><i>Yes. Let's face it. We MAY be right-wingers. But we're not dead, and we have interest and curiosity in gorgeous babes just like every other red-blooded American male out there—left OR right.</i></b><br /><br />Ladies, please do not take offense here.<br /><br />Look, I will have to tell you, in fairness of all honesty. And believe me, I am not alone here in this.<b><i> I am not in the least bit unfamiliar with porn.</i></b> Yes, I am on the right. Yes, I am a conservative. And yes, I<b><i> do</i></b> fully comprehend that there are a good many people who think porn is downright nasty and horrible, and mind-damaging...<br /><br /><b><i>But those who say that, and are emphatic about that, are probably spending more hours a day indulging in porn than the ones who never say a word about it.</i></b><br /><br />It's as taboo for many people in adulthood as admitting masturbating is to a teenager. No matter how many times you try to convince someone, "Oh no, I am NOT doing THAT," we all know what the truth is.<br /><br />But that's not why I am here talking about this. I just wanted to lay out some reality before I get into my main point about Stormy Daniels and this supposedly sultry story about her dealings with the now President of the United States that the left is so drooling over.<br /><br /><b><i>I HAD HONESTLY NEVER HEARD OF STORMY DANIELS UNTIL THIS STORY SURFACED.</i></b><br /><br />Which makes me think, there have probably been a good number of people, left and right, who had never heard of her either. Even if they had stumbled upon her and just didn't recognize the name, or didn't remember it.<br /><br />I constantly ask the question when stories like this come around, "Why now? Why NOW is this story coming out? And why SHOULD it be coming out?"<br /><br />By all accounts, regardless of how the left wants to spin this,<b><i> if she did in fact</i></b> have a relationship with Trump, which I think she probably did, why has she never publicly said anything about it? To what end? For what purpose?<br /><br />Well, it<b><i> could be</i></b> that her career has been a bit sketchy lately. I mean, she's only 38, and that does not make her old by today's standards (40 is the new 20?), but in the porn industry her career<b><i> could well be</i></b> at least somewhat dried up. A little bit of publicity right now could do well for her and her bottom line and she<b><i> knows</i></b> how desperate the left is to find any dirt they can possibly find to try to destroy Trump and his presidency.<br /><br />This is just what the doctor ordered.<br /><br />She can gain notoriety. She can have name recognition. People will seek her out. They may even buy photos and videos that she was part of.<b><i> Maybe</i></b> she even gets a call from one of the big porn outfits to do something new because even if she<b><i> is</i></b> 38 there are enough horny men out there eager and anxious to have a closer look at what Trump got to dive into.<br /><br />Pardon the pun. I am sure that last statement will meet with disgust and controversy.<br /><br />At the end of the day I have to admit I am a bit remiss as to why this even<b><i> is a story</i></b> at all? Of course the left and the lamestream media have done their best to portray this as sort of a call to address the outrage the right had over Clinton's antics while he was president.<br /><br /><b><i>But,</i></b> this was not happening in the White House. This was not happening in the Oval Office. This was not happening while Trump was on the phone with members of Congress. This was not happening in any official capacity whatsoever.<br /><br />What was it? Sex. Plain and simple. Consensual sex between a billionaire and a porn star.<br /><br />Of course, it is also a strong attempt by the left to try to discredit the president in some form or fashion and make him out to be a troll, praying on women. It is an attempt to say to the public, "See, for all your outrage for all the left has been accused of when it comes to sexual predation your guy is as guilty."<br /><br />The only reason Stormy Daniels has chosen to kiss and tell is because there is something to be gained by it. Mostly probably financially. The media is interested, and even if the media does not pay her for her story...<br /><br />She will sell more of her work almost invariably. And that is what this is really all about. Nothing more than that, folks. Nothing more to see here. She wants a bit of the limelight and she wants to line her pockets with it.<br /><br /><b><i>But it will do nothing to damage Donald Trump or his presidency.</i></b><br /><br />And Stormy might be well advised when she cashes in to invest her money wisely and not spend it all in one place. Because very soon this will be old news, especially when the media realizes that no one cares...<br /><br />And they are off and running on the next big thing they think will bring down the presidency of Donald J. Trump.<br /><br /><br /><b></b><i><b><br /></b></i><br /><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-8441871-11479434" target="_top"><img alt="Free Shipping + 3 Free Gifts" border="0" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-8441871-11479434" height="60" width="234" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-8441871-12407742" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-8441871-12407742" height="50" width="320" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-8441871-13169399" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-8441871-13169399" height="38" width="320" /></a>Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-26581242902969404632018-03-08T16:03:00.003-08:002018-03-08T16:12:25.464-08:00If You Think Steel Tariffs Are About Steel Tariffs...You Are Missing The Point<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yDNLI3ClxbA/WqHOGmHZG4I/AAAAAAAABc0/72TGDaNG0IEhfL0qmGZ06lg781Od9RvbwCLcBGAs/s1600/steel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="112" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yDNLI3ClxbA/WqHOGmHZG4I/AAAAAAAABc0/72TGDaNG0IEhfL0qmGZ06lg781Od9RvbwCLcBGAs/s200/steel.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i style="font-weight: bold;">THE TRUTH IS, THERE IS MORE TO THIS STEEL AND ALUMINUM TARIFF THAN WHAT MEETS THE EYE,</i>&nbsp;and it is clear that those who are strongly opposed to the tariffs, citing historical examples that even I cannot disagree with, <b><i>it is the dynamics of the tariffs that everyone is missing the point on.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>When I found myself to be a proponent of the tariffs, which admittedly does go against my grain a bit, it was only after I looked at what Trump was really proposing. What he was really saying. And what his true intent of the tariffs happen to be. His signing of the executive order today only serves to confirm the message I was getting when he first talked about it.<br /><br /><b><i>It is not an across the board tariff. There is a ton of flexibility built into it. And the tariff is not the intended target. Nor are importing countries. ONLY the bad players. AND he has a larger interest in mind.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>Like renegotiating the decades old and outdated NAFTA agreement, which <i style="font-weight: bold;">should not </i>be ditched, but certainly should be revisited.<br /><br />The executive order is clear that at least one of our primary suppliers of steel, which happens to be Canada, is not currently included. Neither is Mexico, although they do not supply much, if any of our steel. So really, what is the real impact of the tariffs? I would argue it is actually nominal.<br /><br /><i style="font-weight: bold;">BUT, </i>that does not mean that steel suppliers and producers of products that use it to make their products are not going to miss the bigger picture, jump on the train, and use it as an opportunity and as an <i style="font-weight: bold;">excuse</i>&nbsp;to raise their prices. And they are doing it already even though the tariffs do not even go into effect until sometime next month.<br /><br />What does this ultimately equate to? It's a money grab, folks. It is gouging the end user on the <i style="font-weight: bold;">premise</i>&nbsp;that prices will be negatively impacted on a broad scale when it is clear that will not be the case at all.<br /><br />Just read the wording of the executive order instead of taking in the talking points of all of the naysayers.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8441871-13085812" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_top"><img alt="First time buyer SPECIAL - Free Shipping + Free Gifts" border="0" src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-8441871-13085812" height="200" width="100" /></a>Granted. Yes. You do have to deal with the impact of the tariffs, even if they may be largely inflated and fake. Sellers set the prices and buyers have to simply pay the prices set. That's the nature of the game. But at the end of the day the price increases, at least for now, have nothing at all to do with the tariffs, and have everything to do with what the sellers either anticipate, or <i style="font-weight: bold;">want </i>the perceived outcome of the tariffs to be.<br /><br />The fact is that right now what we see happening is more reactionary in the price of steel since the tariffs have not even gone into effect yet. Steel producers and manufacturers who use steel are honestly pulling price increases out of the air almost as badly as callers of the $15 an hour minimum wage did. There is no market data to support the increases. There is no added cost to the market right now. It's all just anticipatory. In other words, what is driving up the cost of steel and aluminum right now has nothing at all to do with the tariffs, only the <i style="font-weight: bold;">anticipation </i>of the tariffs and the <i style="font-weight: bold;">perceived idea</i>&nbsp;as to what those tariffs will mean at the end of the day.<br /><br />The light at the end of the tunnel is that if you actually read what is in the executive order what you find is that <i style="font-weight: bold;">nothing </i>in the executive order is in stone. The executive order, when you dig a little deeper into it, is nothing more than a tool to negotiate. That is what Trump does, and he is good at it. The executive order is a conversation opener.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-8441871-12401894" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-8441871-12401894" height="125" width="125" /></a><b><i>Here is what you want. Here is what we want. How do we find common ground to get there? If you give us a little of what we want, we can negotiate what you want—including on these tariffs—and we can meet somewhere in the middle, and we all win.</i></b></blockquote>That is what these tariffs do. That is what these tariffs hope to achieve. To open a dialogue. Trump has been very clear that the percentages can go up or down depending on the country, and depending on what else we all may want to talk about when it comes to trade.<br /><br />The difference between tariffs and the impacts of them of the past and the ones we are looking at now are the <i style="font-weight: bold;">dynamics </i>and the <i style="font-weight: bold;">real intent </i>of what they hope to achieve.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-8441871-11748099" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_top"><img alt="Sunfood Yacon Syrup" border="0" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-8441871-11748099" height="200" width="200" /></a>If you do not <i style="font-weight: bold;">understand </i>what these tariffs actually mean, I suggest you read the book by Donald Trump called <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Art of the Deal.</i>&nbsp;You cannot take these tariffs on the surface. You have to open your mind a bit and read into what he is really trying to do here. If you do that, you'll see that what Trump has in mind actually has nothing at all to do with steel and aluminum imports. There is a much bigger and broader picture here. It's the macro. Not the micro.<br /><br />Keep an open mind and give this a little time and what you will see is that steel and aluminum prices will stabilize, and what we will wind up with at the end of the day is a much better situation when it comes to all trade for America and American workers. Mark my words.Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-74234978635605364822018-03-03T07:01:00.001-08:002018-03-03T07:01:33.831-08:00Racism Is Not Conservatism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lCYmcrMTPEA/Wpq4Dh-zhMI/AAAAAAAABcY/mApWVNtPxiwosSSbOKzubgYhTEYid9anQCLcBGAs/s1600/stopracism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="319" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lCYmcrMTPEA/Wpq4Dh-zhMI/AAAAAAAABcY/mApWVNtPxiwosSSbOKzubgYhTEYid9anQCLcBGAs/s200/stopracism.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><b><i>I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN LAMBASTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR MAKING THE FOLLOWING TWEET.</i></b><br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="en">There's that word again. Racist. And in the way the libs so readily use it is part of the reason I believe racism does not exist anymore. If it did, the left would not have made the word so meaningless. <a href="https://t.co/DfyjhOmtWc">https://t.co/DfyjhOmtWc</a></div>— Jim Bauer (@JimBauer601) <a href="https://twitter.com/JimBauer601/status/969195503480172544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>Naturally, most of the lambasting has come from the left—which have, in their responses, taken my tweet completely out of context. Not surprising, really. But it <b><i>is indeed</i></b> a bit annoying.<br /><br />The truth is that <b><i>of course</i></b> I am not so naïve to believe that there is no racism left in the world. Of course racism exists, and I cannot find anything about the wording in my tweet that really suggests other than that. <br /><br />I was very clear when I said "in the way the libs so readily use it (the word racism) is part of the reason I believe racism does not exist anymore."<br /><br />That <b><i>is </i></b>to say that liberals have simply redefined the word to mean "anyone who is a conservative or a republican is a racist based on the idea that he or she disagrees with a liberal position." That is, of course,<b><i> not</i></b> the definition of racism.<br /><br />For anyone on the left who would like to have a lesson in what<b><i> is</i></b> the definition of racism, here it is.<br /><div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b><i>"Racism is prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior."</i></b></blockquote>Yes, I am against DACA. Yes, I am for secure borders. Yes, I am for legal and sensible immigration. Yes, I support Muslim bans until we know who we are letting enter our country. None of these positions make me a racist<b><i> even if</i></b> my positions impact another race. I simply want for our country to be safe, and I want for our citizens (legal citizens) to have the best opportunities for jobs, and do not want my tax dollars going into the hands of people who are not with our best interests in mind.<br /><br />What makes the use of the word racism by liberals even more frustrating is that I actually<b><i> advocate for</i></b> especially the black community often. I have long said and written about how it pains me to drive through America's inner cities and want for them to have a better life and better opportunities. In part, a large part of the reason I advocate for American labor and protectionism to an extent is<b><i> because</i></b> I want to see many of those jobs opportunities afforded to the black community which would largely benefit—as it did in the past when manufacturing was more vibrant and robust.<br /><br />Pre-Civil Rights movement notwithstanding. I cannot do anything to change that. I also was not alive during that era.<br /><br /><b><i>But,</i></b> I fully support and would have supported desegregation, and would have opposed Jim Crowe laws vehemently. I would have been a fan of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and am a fan today of his message and his non-violent protest stance.<br /><br />That does not make me a racist at all.<br /><br />And<b><i> even though</i></b> I largely blame the black community today for many of its internal problems such as drug activity, gun violence, high crime, and children born out of wedlock—for their lack of action or based on the ineffective officials in their communities they elect—I am largely saying that of all people, it is the<b><i> black community</i></b> who has every bit of ability to pull themselves up from the bootstraps and succeed. I believe they have the power to do it and strongly believe that the government cannot and will not solve their problems for them.<br /><br />And clearly government programs have proven ineffective.<br /><br />It is not racist at all to point the finger and say, "You have the power to change your life if you seize the opportunity, and run hard with it." It is also not racist to say, "Until you realize what you are doing or not doing to affect your own outcome you will not succeed."<br /><br />The point of my tweet was of course to simply point out that liberals have, as they do with so many words these days,<b><i> redefined</i></b> the word racism to the point that they have literally rendered the entire meaning of the word<b><i> meaningless.</i></b> And what boggles my mind a bit about that is that if you<b><i> are a liberal</i></b> and if you truly care about the impact of racism by its true definition, to redefine it in the way they have takes away from the real problems of racism in America.<br /><br />And therefore, if no one knows what the word means anymore, how do you fix the problem? You don't know which bolt is loose on the tire if you catch my drift, and you may be trying to tighten the wrong one.<br /><br />Look, I can be called whatever people want to call me. I know in my heart who I am and what I believe. But it does not mean I am any less frustrated by the label. In fact, it saddens me a bit. It saddens me<b><i> because</i></b> I do not like racism by its true definition anymore than any other common sense individual would not like it. I want to see racism eradicated as much as anyone. I want to see other races succeed as much as everyone. I want to be one America regardless of color or ethnicity as much as anyone.<br /><br />We can't do that if the focus of what<b><i> is</i></b> racist is fuzzy and ill-defined.<br /><br /></div><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-8441871-13169399" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-8441871-13169399" height="49" width="400" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-8441871-12401958" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.tqlkg.com/image-8441871-12401958" height="49" width="400" /></a>Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-38451014838991541582018-03-02T08:26:00.000-08:002018-03-02T10:16:00.260-08:00A Blocking We Will Go<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KqaK8ZiwGs0/Wpl6ma-x1WI/AAAAAAAABb8/aiRlfPj3nec5zqnC-tNDR14IXb3lAInFQCLcBGAs/s1600/tolerantliberal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="474" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KqaK8ZiwGs0/Wpl6ma-x1WI/AAAAAAAABb8/aiRlfPj3nec5zqnC-tNDR14IXb3lAInFQCLcBGAs/s200/tolerantliberal.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><b><i>MOST RECENTLY I DECIDED TO CHANGE MY POLICY A BIT WHEN IT COMES TO BLOCKING OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS.</i>&nbsp;</b>For years my longstanding policy on social media has been to engage the other side in any debate, feeling that in order to have a well shaped opinion on any issue one must be able to take in multiple viewpoints, and be open minded when it comes to how any issue is perceived, reported on, and what the opinions of others are. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Sometimes I actually do change my position</i>&nbsp;if the opposing argument is strong.<br /><br /><b><i>I am a conservative of course. But despite what some hard core conservatives may say, there are actually SOME liberals out there who do have the ability to think and formulate a common sense opinion.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>I will admit it <i style="font-weight: bold;">is </i>rare. But I am not being fair minded if I simply discount every single liberal as a total idiot.Which brings me around to why I have changed my policy on social media blocking.<br /><br />There is a trend, and it is certainly not a new one, for many on the left (and let's be fair, some on the right do this too, guys) to, instead of return with a valid and cohesive argument, they will simply start lobbing unfounded accusations, character assassinate, and respond by calling people names.<br /><br /><b><i>Racist and Russian bot are all the craze.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>When the opposing argument begins to resort to that sort of thing I am of the mind that 1) there is no valid argument the other side can make, and 2) there is no argument I can make to change a mind or make a case for. So, why bother really? What's the point?<br /><br />Sure. On some days it can <i style="font-weight: bold;">indeed </i>be fun. But honestly, more and more it just becomes an irritation. A back and forth of wasted energy that just gets more and more ridiculous and crazy the more you go along with it.<br /><br />And then there's those lists the left has resorted to creating. They don't even bother to respond. They just put you on some unfounded list that places you into a corner that you really have nothing to do with, and <i style="font-weight: bold;">accuses </i>you of having a position you don't have at all.<br /><br />It does not bother me. I should be clear about that. It does not bother me anymore, really, than being called a racist or a bot or any other moniker the left wants to place on me simply because I happen to disagree with their view of the world.<br /><br /><b><i>But it does mean there is no longer an argument.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>The thing for me is that I know where I stand on any issue, and so whatever I may be accused of is really meaningless and pointless to try to defend. You cannot rationalize with someone who is simply incapable of seeing the other side's view.<br /><br />I know I am not a racist. And I am certainly not a bot. So what value is there in trying to defend myself from these kinds of accusations? No matter what I say to point to the contrary, it is going to fall on deaf ears anyway.<br /><br />So again, why bother.<br /><br />Part of my policy of not blocking opposing viewpoints was that I thought it was borderline childish. In my mind, every time someone on the left blocked me I would envision a 5-year old clamping his palms to his ears shouting, "I can't hear you, I can't hear you." So my aim was not to become that childish figure on the right.<br /><br />The problem is that when I offer my viewpoint, I try to support it with facts and reason, and a dose of common sense. Of course I am not always right. I would be naive to think that I could never be wrong. Which is also part of the reason I enjoy a reasonable exchange of ideas, because I am adult enough to acknowledge that I may not always have the right answer or viewpoint, and <i style="font-weight: bold;">sometimes </i>the left <b><i>does.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>It's the crazy that closes the door for me. And the crazy is simply getting to be <i style="font-weight: bold;">quite </i>thick these days. Even more as Trump derangement syndrome is in full force and the left is all but losing their minds as Trump is clearly winning on a number of fronts. And that's not just my conservative bias saying that. It's <b><i>obvious.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>Speaking of bias momentarily, that is also the one thing that still surprises me just a little bit these days, that the right <i style="font-weight: bold;">can </i>have a bias, but can also offer praise to the other side when the other side gets it right <i style="font-weight: bold;">and </i>will lambaste even our own when <i style="font-weight: bold;">we</i>&nbsp;get it wrong.<br /><br />I can count on my fingers how many times I have seen a liberal hold one of their own accountable for anything.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8441871-12638165" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-8441871-12638165" height="46" width="400" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-8441871-13169399" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-8441871-13169399" height="49" width="400" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-8441871-12401958" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.tqlkg.com/image-8441871-12401958" height="49" width="400" /></a>Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-91529103015241094552018-02-25T11:45:00.002-08:002018-02-25T12:38:46.691-08:00Quick Shout: The Left Is Killing Itself<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m5RVxIqNXFY/WoCJ8I7A_cI/AAAAAAAABZU/xvxYCW1XOJUEQLh-uCnBgLk3llhjSR0vgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/quickshout.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="56" data-original-width="172" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m5RVxIqNXFY/WoCJ8I7A_cI/AAAAAAAABZU/xvxYCW1XOJUEQLh-uCnBgLk3llhjSR0vgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/quickshout.png" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" lang="en">Maybe if NBC could stop politicizing everything &amp; go back to supporting America &amp; not kissing North Korea’s ass people would watch again. Just sayin’... Americans are fed up with liberals bashing America and then going to represent them on a world stage. <a href="https://t.co/Sa7FF1hSeJ">https://t.co/Sa7FF1hSeJ</a></div>— LoDuv♦️ (@Loduv) <a href="https://twitter.com/Loduv/status/967818467910017024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote>It is perhaps one of the most amazing things to me. You would think the left would get it. Every time they open their mouths and spout off their rhetoric, or try to influence their "cause," what they wind up doing instead is sealing their own fates.<br /><br />The Grammy's are losing money hand over fist because the celebs can't keep their mouths shut about politics. The NFL is losing money hand over fist because they insist on letting players diss the country by not standing up for the anthem. And now the Olympics is falling victim to this as well.<br /><br />What's more, after the horrible tragedy that was the school shooting in Florida, as a handful of companies try to remove discounts for NRA members, NRA memberships are skyrocketing. <i><b>And </b></i>gun sales are up again. You can bet that anyone denying those discounts publicly from NRA members is going to seriously hurt their bottom lines.<br /><br />And do you remember back when the CEO of Chick-Fil-A made comments backing marriage between a man and a woman and the left called for boycotts of the chicken chain?<br /><br /><b><i>Yup.</i></b><br /><br />You were lucky if you get a chicken sandwich the lines were so long from people supporting marriage and what the CEO said.<br /><br />The left is a funny thing when you get right down to it. They <b><i>always </i></b>speak as though they are speaking for the majority. Yet time and time again that gets knocked down as bogus.<br /><br />There is a reason that conservative talk radio has always dwarfed liberal talk radio. There is a reason that Fox News gets considerably higher ratings than the rest of the MSM. There is a reason that liberal calls for boycotts always backfire on them. And there is a reason that when the left tries to infuse its rhetoric into things like music, movies, and other places...<br /><br />People stop spending their money. People stop watching their programming. And people stop buying their music.<br /><br />Think back as well to <b><i>The Dixie Chicks.</i></b><br /><br />One day the left is going to get it. Or maybe they won't. Maybe one of the mistakes we on the right keep making is thinking that liberals have the capacity to think at all, or to see reality. When they are losing handily, they still somehow see themselves as winning. They cannot see reality even if it is right their in front of them plain as day...<br /><br /><b><i>They absolutely deny its existence.</i></b><br /><br />The left accepts only one truth. The truth that lives solely in their minds. It costs them support, it costs their supporters money, and I am telling you. Mark my words. It is going to cost them elections too.<br /><br /><br /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8441871-12638165" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-8441871-12638165" height="46" width="400" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-8441871-13169399" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-8441871-13169399" height="49" width="400" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-8441871-12401958" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.tqlkg.com/image-8441871-12401958" height="49" width="400" /></a> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="en">Here's a list of companies boycotting the NRA: <br />Alamo Rent a Car<br />Avis<br />Allied Van Lines<br />Bestwestern<br />Budget<br />Chubb Insurance<br />Delta Air Lines<br />Enterprise Rent-a-Car<br />First National Bank of Omaha<br />Hertz<br />MetLife<br />North American Van Lines<br />Paramount R<br />SimpliSafe<br />Symantec</div>— MARK SIMONE (@MarkSimoneNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkSimoneNY/status/967453494394408961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2018</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-11490681046821513132018-02-25T06:50:00.000-08:002018-02-25T06:50:41.270-08:00Megyn Kelly's True Colors Shining Through<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-olRJQROoShM/WpLMaFgoQjI/AAAAAAAABbg/tx9v3llJAgAMjopUvjvzWu9I89elxHCJQCLcBGAs/s1600/megynkelly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1420" height="133" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-olRJQROoShM/WpLMaFgoQjI/AAAAAAAABbg/tx9v3llJAgAMjopUvjvzWu9I89elxHCJQCLcBGAs/s200/megynkelly.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b><i>"...I see your true colors shining through..." —lyrics by Cyndi Lauper from True Colors</i></b></blockquote>The next line in the song of course was, "And that's why I love you." But when it comes to former Fox News Anchor of 13 years, Megyn Kelly, who now works for NBC, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of love going on there.<br /><br />At Fox she was a star of sorts. She ran a tight show and seemed to hold fairly conservative values, and she held her guests to the fire when she felt the need to. Something I think she learned fast at Fox was a solid recipe for good ratings based on the success of Bill O'Reilly's top rated<b><i> The Factor,</i></b> on which she was a frequent guest, and really where she got her start.<br /><br />The writing seemed to be on the wall, though, once Donald J. Trump entered the presidential race, and this was the beginning of Megyn Kelly's show of her true colors. It was clear very early on that she was not a fan of Trump, and even while there were many republicans and conservatives on the fence in the beginning, that ship was sailing fast, and the popularity of Trump was gaining while Megyn's constant criticisms of Trump were fast becoming tiresome...<br /><br />And vindictive. Let's not forget that she<b><i> really</i></b> started to go after the now president after a rift formed between them during a now rather famous exchange during a presidential debate she was a moderator of.<br /><br />Now on NBC, she seems to be having trouble making a name for herself. Her ratings have been abysmal at best even if her ratings<b><i> have</i></b> made some gains since she first appeared on the network.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-8441871-12407701" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-8441871-12407701" height="200" width="100" /></a>I rarely watched her show on Fox. But I did see her often on<b><i> The Factor</i></b>, and while I thought she was certainly a beautiful woman, and found that most of the time I agreed with much of her stance on issues, there<b><i> was</i></b> an underlying feeling about her that if I knew her in person...<br /><br /><b><i>I might not actually like her.</i></b><br /><br />She just, for whatever reason,<b><i> always</i></b> came off to me as someone who would be in a room and think she was the brightest, biggest person there—<b><i>the most important person there.</i></b> And for most people that doesn't make for high accolades.<br /><br />Now it is coming out, as Megyn Kelly has been quite vocal in the #metoo movement, and has championed herself as being<b><i> for</i></b> women, that perhaps she is not quite as nice, or pro-woman as she has lead people to believe.<br /><br />One hairdresser from her days at Fox, for example, pointed out that Megyn literally ousted someone from her chair demanding she be taken care of first, going as far as to point her finger at the woman saying, "Out of the chair."<br /><br />Megyn Kelly has said she left Fox for a number of reasons. The Roger Ailes stuff, for example, and she even spoke out against Bill O'Reilly himself. The Trump stuff. But more and more I am thinking she may have been politely asked to leave Fox due to her antics. And interestingly enough, she is starting more and more to seem more like the personality of Hillary Clinton the more you dive into her interactions, especially with the very women she so champions the cause of.<br /><br />She has a three year contract with NBC, and I think it will be interesting to see whether or not she gets renewed when it comes up for renewal. I am very much thinking that her ship cannot be righted, she is making enemies at NBC for a variety of reasons, and her days there may well be numbered.<br /><br />What she does after that is anyone's guess. She's made millions between Fox and NBC over the years. Perhaps retirement is the next best move for her. It may as well be for us.Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-84386705441955106822018-02-21T14:39:00.000-08:002018-03-04T07:55:41.234-08:00Steel and Aluminum Tariffs Right For Jobs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fRavPc6xb6U/Wo3xnDreB8I/AAAAAAAABak/wXVz4bzf24guTbH0Nopk2nmJw09VdbOdwCLcBGAs/s1600/commerce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="474" height="149" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fRavPc6xb6U/Wo3xnDreB8I/AAAAAAAABak/wXVz4bzf24guTbH0Nopk2nmJw09VdbOdwCLcBGAs/s200/commerce.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i style="font-weight: bold;">CALL ME A PROTECTIONIST IF YOU LIKE.</i>&nbsp;I am actually okay with that. The truth, if you have kept up with me at all in the past, is that I side more with the idea of free trade than anything. That aside, I strongly support the American worker, and have long held that what we know to be free trade today really isn't free trade at all if those other countries we are competing with are not playing by the same set of rules.<br /><br />What, in part, leads me to believe the way I do? For one, I think we had the best and the strongest economic times when we were leaders in manufacturing. It used to be that the largest companies were all manufacturers, and those factories employed many millions of workers and provided jobs that paid family supporting wages and offered family supporting benefits as well.<br /><br /><b><i>Granted, many of these manufacturing companies WERE unionized, and I am also strongly against unions—but that is for another day.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>Nowadays it seems the largest employer in the United States is Walmart. Not that I have anything at all against Walmart, but let's face it. They don't offer the same kinds of job opportunities, wages, and benefits that the large manufacturing firms of the past offered. And many of those jobs aren't even full time.<br /><b><i><br /></i></b>I want to talk a bit about the recent announcement by the Trump administration that tariffs would be placed on imported steel and aluminum.<br /><br />The fact is that over the years, and actually over several decades, we have lost untold numbers of jobs due to steel and aluminum imports, the bulk of which has come from China. The other industries notwithstanding, what has been left for the American worker are the <i style="font-weight: bold;">REAL CRUMBS </i>Nancy Pelosi<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QbfaLIrlVHw/Wo3x-crpAkI/AAAAAAAABao/BM4_N_W67EAgPl5672WkE05R6f-25e6DwCLcBGAs/s1600/crumbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="474" height="155" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QbfaLIrlVHw/Wo3x-crpAkI/AAAAAAAABao/BM4_N_W67EAgPl5672WkE05R6f-25e6DwCLcBGAs/s200/crumbs.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>and her democrat cohorts should be talking about.<br /><br /><b><i>Taco Bell, McDonald's, convenience stores and the like are the largest employers in this country if you take away small business. And none of them pay a living wage, and I would argue offer little in the way of a career path either. Let's not forget that MANY of those small businesses are actually restaurants which also do not pay high wages.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>One of the things Trump talked about during his campaign were the stagnant wages this country has suffered for a very long time, and the plight of the people in jobs that just don't do anything to help lift them up out of the doldrums and off the dole. While protesters marched in the streets demanding $15 an hour jobs flipping hamburgers, then candidate Trump promised the American people that he would fix some of the wrongs over many decades that left American workers no real choice but to trade in their steel toed boots for spatulas. He wanted to put America first, put the American <b><i>worker </i></b>first, and bring back manufacturing...<br /><br /><b><i>The heart, bread, AND butter that made for a vibrant and robust American middle class.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>I have long argued as well that part of the issues that plague the inner cities can be directly tied to the loss of manufacturing jobs—and even probably contributed in a big way to the entire breakdown of those inner cities.<br /><br /><b><i>NOT EVERYONE IS COLLEGE BOUND, NOR SHOULD THEY BE.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>And that is <i style="font-weight: bold;">not </i>to suggest that I think that black people, because I just mentioned the inner cities which have large black populations, are less capable of getting a college degree. But manufacturing <i style="font-weight: bold;">was indeed</i>&nbsp;a sector that provided for very strong earnings for people of all colors and all walks of life to get out of high school and go out and make wages that would one day afford them the opportunity to join the ranks of the middle class.<br /><br />Think of the economy sort of like the ecosystem. Remove one food source and something else dies as a result. When you took out manufacturing from the economy, many people were impacted by this—and it is not necessarily a question of simply getting different jobs. It's a question of what<b><i> quality</i></b> of jobs were left in manufacturing's stead.<br /><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><br />When you have family supporting wages, and when you feel good about the opportunities and direction in your life, you tend to be more rooted—and thus family values are stronger. The inner cities in particular, and in large part, lost a part of that opportunity and one can easily see the path it has lead us on.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8441871-12401894" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-8441871-12401894" height="125" width="125" /></a>Back in the early days of this country, especially as our economy began to become more and more dominant, of course the people of this country were doing well. When an economy is doing well, the cost of labor rises. Lesser economically developed countries could <i style="font-weight: bold;">naturally</i>&nbsp;have an advantage over the American worker since it would have the ability to produce certain goods cheaper by default.<br /><br /><b><i>HOW DO YOU FIX THAT?</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>Tariffs. Duties assigned to imported goods to bring those imported goods on par with domestic goods.<br /><br /><b><i>And by the way, to me that's real free trade. Competition. Not only that, but FAIR competition. Let's compete on the quality of the product, not the price. Why should a Chinese manufacturer have an advantage JUST BECAUSE they happen to be able to make the product for less even if, for argument's sake, the two products are exactly the same?</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>The steel and aluminum coming out of the United States is no different than the steel and aluminum coming out of China. The only difference happens to be the price. And the question I have is, if that is the only difference, why should the American steel worker or aluminum smelter have to suffer and lose his job just because China can make the same product cheaper? Why should that worker be forced to say, take a job at Walmart because not only has the steel and aluminum industry been winked out—but the automakers and the oven makers, and other manufacturers have also left town?<br /><br />When this whole thing got started, and this is not a new argument for me either, the fact that we could get goods cheaper was a <i style="font-weight: bold;">novelty.</i>&nbsp;In the beginning people were still going to work everyday making a Ford, or making a Frigidaire, and it was neat that they could walk into a Kmart and buy something for less, stretching their already good wages even farther.<br /><br />What actually happened is those Ford jobs went to Mexico, and those Frigidaire jobs went to China, and when they walked into a Kmart store to buy cheaper goods it was not because it was neat. It was because it was all they could afford. Because after the good jobs left, as they stood in line waiting to check out at Kmart, they found themselves in a position to also ask for a job application.<br /><br />Do I like the fact that because of the tariffs the price of goods containing steel and aluminum will likely be higher? Of course not. At the same time, I do think we are long overdue in this country to get away from the bulk of American jobs being reduced to retail and fast food—if we can get Americans back to work in factories, making better wages, I think we all benefit from that. Even the companies we work for. I think the world benefits from it as well because honestly there will <i style="font-weight: bold;">never be a time</i>&nbsp;when there will not be a need for, nor a demand for imported goods. If Americans have better jobs, and make better money, that just means Americans will also buy more goods.<br /><br /><b><i>NO MATTER WHAT, WE ARE STILL A CONSUMER DRIVEN SOCIETY.</i></b><br /><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-8441871-11778446" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_top"><img alt="Sunfood" border="0" src="http://www.tqlkg.com/image-8441871-11778446" height="60" width="120" /></a><b><i><br /></i></b>What the real outcome of this <i style="font-weight: bold;">global market</i>&nbsp;has been is to slow down what is the <i style="font-weight: bold;">real potential </i>of the American consumer to consume at the rate that they might otherwise consume. What is even worse, and again is for another day, is that we have also created an enormous problem in this country with consumer debt which now surpasses $1 trillion. It is safe to say that with all of that debt out there, and if we continued on the path of low paying service economy jobs—a huge portion of that $1 trillion debt might be subject to default.<br /><br /><b><i>THINK BACK TO THE SUBPRIME CRASH. THIS COULD VERY WELL HAPPEN TO THE ENTIRE CREDIT CARD INDUSTRY.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>You can take an old adage here into account, if you will indulge me, that <i style="font-weight: bold;">you cannot get blood out of a stone.</i>&nbsp;If American workers are not making money to buy goods and services, and ring up huge debts just trying to keep up, there will be no money for anyone at the end of the day to collect. And what's more, the amounts you <i style="font-weight: bold;">can </i>collect will become smaller, and smaller, and smaller.<br /><br />Part of the reason we have come to a place that even welfare rolls are so high is because people have been left with less choices to find meaningful jobs. Letting the Mexicans and the Chinese, and whoever else, to win just leaves <i style="font-weight: bold;">everyone </i>behind, <i style="font-weight: bold;">including </i>the Mexicans and the Chinese.<br /><br />Let me get to one last point here. One thing Trump is proving is that America <i style="font-weight: bold;">can </i>compete. What has largely held us back, besides all of the initiatives of past presidents to allow for things like NAFTA and MFN status—and unions by the way—are regulations stacked on regulations and high corporate taxes. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Those things, </i>even more than wages I contest, have more to do with why American workers lost out, and continue to lose out to foreign competition in the jobs market.<br /><br /><i style="font-weight: bold;">WHAT'S MORE, </i>it is also a large part of the reason many of those foreign manufacturers even have not operated in the United States. Taxes and regulations.<br /><br />If Trump can continue to succeed in getting rid of burdensome regulation, can continue to exceed in lowering the corporate tax rates, and can continue to succeed in boosting the American economy as a whole, it will only make sense that Chinese and Mexican companies may decide to start building more things in the homeland.<br /><br />Like Foxconn, for example, which is starting up a massive operation in Wisconsin.<br /><br />What we need in this country is a return the good old days of old where the middle class is vibrant and abundant. We need to return to a time when people have money to spend <i style="font-weight: bold;">and have money to save.</i><br /><br />When you live in the most economically rich and successful country in the world, half the population should not simply be left to have to get by. The people of the country should have the opportunity to get ahead.<br /><br />There are over 300 million people in this country, and that number continues to grow. Based on just simple math as to what that relates to in terms of consumption rates, the truth is that there is, and <i style="font-weight: bold;">will be</i>&nbsp;plenty of money to go around—you can support both strong American labor forces <i style="font-weight: bold;">and </i>you will still need plenty of imports just to keep up.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XbvSJoBkzU0/Wo30drdVwxI/AAAAAAAABbE/OzyECYuk258jtFoEcBI79pj-93FCIGLcQCLcBGAs/s1600/importship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XbvSJoBkzU0/Wo30drdVwxI/AAAAAAAABbE/OzyECYuk258jtFoEcBI79pj-93FCIGLcQCLcBGAs/s200/importship.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>We have to right this ship. We have to restore manufacturing. We have to restore wages. We will have less people on the dole, and the government will actually take in more money, and so will the rest of the world as a whole.<br /><br />The tariffs on steel and aluminum are a great place to start. Personally I want to see more of this. I want to see more deals renegotiated when it comes to trade. I want a level playing field. I want more Americans to have more choices when they decide what they want to do when they enter the work force. I want to see less Americans relying on the government and more American workers making family supporting wages. I want to see family values return. And even some of that may be possible if we can get back to a time when a single income household was more than enough and children had solid support and role models to guide their future lives, which only made the country better and stronger, and safer for that matter.<br /><br />In the end it won't matter if my can of beer might cost a few cents more. I'll be making <i style="font-weight: bold;">dollars </i>more that will more than make up the difference and pick up the tab. <br /><blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecretaryRoss?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecretaryRoss</a>: "We're talking about a total of $9 billion of tariffs. That's about one half of one percent of the economy. So this business that 'the sky is falling' is just silly." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SundayFutures?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SundayFutures</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MariaBartiromo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MariaBartiromo</a> <a href="https://t.co/zHx3P49fKR">pic.twitter.com/zHx3P49fKR</a></div>— Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/970324236521816066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-66059623094584627832018-02-20T15:48:00.000-08:002018-02-20T16:30:55.198-08:00Shit In One Hand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sypl__ACvH4/WoyypeZCYnI/AAAAAAAABaI/QH1FaIvuA2sD_Wp9vc_lD6U9ITJ5xvLwgCLcBGAs/s1600/filthyrich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="1050" height="112" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sypl__ACvH4/WoyypeZCYnI/AAAAAAAABaI/QH1FaIvuA2sD_Wp9vc_lD6U9ITJ5xvLwgCLcBGAs/s200/filthyrich.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i style="font-weight: bold;">IS IT WRONG OF ME TO JUST COME RIGHT OUT AND SAY IT? I WANT TO BE FILTHY RICH. </i>I mean, is there anyone in their right mind who would deny having millions of dollars in their bank account if they could help it?<br /><br />I think even the most liberal among us, who despise rich people to the hilt, would not turn down an opportunity to line their bank accounts if they could seize upon any possible chance to do so.<br /><br />Okay. Okay. Liberals <i style="font-weight: bold;">do</i>&nbsp;jump at the chance. Although most of the time they have more nefarious means when it comes to getting at the money. But that's for another day. You should have known I could not totally refrain from my politics here.<br /><br />The question becomes how the fuck do you do this? I mean, how do you truly reap the riches you could have coming your way?<br /><br />Well, one thing is certainly something I have advocated and practiced for <i style="font-weight: bold;">years</i>, and that is to simply make as much money as you can doing what you can, and living below your means, <i style="font-weight: bold;">investing wisely </i>what you make beyond your means.<br /><br />It does work by the way, and I should know. While I am not filthy rich, by any measure I could be considered very well off. And I have no business I own, and have never stepped foot into a college other than to visit it.<br /><br />Well, I <i style="font-weight: bold;">do</i>&nbsp;actually own businesses. Those are the companies I invest my hard earned dollars into and earn a piece of the profits from after doing my due diligence of course.<br /><br />More than that I think it is as simple as tapping into your own personal talents and seeing if you can make a profit from it. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Even if</i>&nbsp;that profit happens to be small. I write, I compose music, and when I am on the job in sales, I try to be the best I can be, offer the best possible outcome to the customer, and hopefully they like what I do, what I offer, and give me a return for that.<br /><br />Sometimes it works, and sometimes it does not. But I never give up trying.<br /><br /><b><i>I want to be filthy rich.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>I want that Ford F-150 Platinum in my driveway. In fact, I want that driveway to roll up to a big and beautiful house. I want to be able to travel when I want to, to where I want to, and I want to be able to decide when I cook in and when I take out, or eat out. And when I cook in, I don't want to just toss some chicken on the grill because it is the cheapest thing in the store. If I want a ribeye, dang it all I want a ribeye.<br /><br />At the end of the day the one thing I know I have to do is to be <i style="font-weight: bold;">extremely confident </i>in who I am, and be equally confident that I can achieve it. Failure is not an option, but failure <i style="font-weight: bold;">is inevitable</i>, and the best course I can take is so strive not to fail, but <i style="font-weight: bold;">if I do fail, </i>make sure I have walked away from it with a lesson.<br /><br />Just like a stock decline is only a loss on paper <b><i>unless</i></b>&nbsp;you cash in, if you <i style="font-weight: bold;">cash in</i>&nbsp;on the idea that you have failed and take nothing else away from that...<br /><br /><b><i>THAT LOSS HAS BEEN REALIZED AND YOU WILL NEVER GET IT BACK!</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>I cannot remember who said it to me, or even where I may have heard it if it was not said to me directly, but it was said that, "Your entire life is defined by who you <i style="font-weight: bold;">want </i>to be, who you <i style="font-weight: bold;">are</i>, and what effort you put into both of those things."<br /><br />It goes hand in hand with something else said to me, "Never let anyone in your life define who you are or what you want to be."<br /><br />I don't think it is any secret that there have been countless people you have encountered, and so have I, who were more than discouraging when it comes to anything you want to achieve. You come across a lot of naysayers in this world.<br /><br /><b><i>You will never be Elvis Presley. You will never be Tom Brady. You will never be Stephen King. You will never be president of the United States.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>And yet we had an Elvis Presley, a Tom Brady, a Stephen King, and a select few in our population have become the most powerful man in the world. A lot of them achieved this despite great odds and against great challenges/<br /><br />Do you know that Stephen King tossed "Carrie" into the garbage can and damn near decided to give up his aspirations as a writer? His wife, Tabitha, found the manuscript in the trash can and read it and went back to Stephen and said, "I think you should finish this one." He did, and the rest is history.<br /><br />Dreams are something you want, something you feel, something you wish could be true. Dreams are fine. There is nothing wrong with dreaming. But dreamers only achieve success when they take action and take the steps necessary to bring those dreams to life.<br /><br /><b><i>Wish in one hand, shit in the other. See which one fills up first.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>That is something my mother used to tell me when I was a kid. It seemed harsh at the time. But later in life it makes perfect sense to me. If you have time enough to dream, you should have time to wake up an achieve. It's not my brilliance that came up with that. That's a motivational poster I saw on a wall in one of the companies I worked for. Bit it <i style="font-weight: bold;">does </i>make perfect sense.<br /><br />If all I do is dream, and all I do is wish, how the hell do I achieve? And when do I wake up to the realization that wishing and dreaming is a passive thing that achieves nothing unless I <i style="font-weight: bold;">act </i>?<br /><br />Becoming filthy rich is something that can be achieved. And it is also something that may be beyond reach. That's life. That's reality. That's the way this thing works. You can put in every single effort, act upon every wish and dream. At the end of the day you may die with a tale to tell of an adventure, many plights, and never have actually met up with what you expected. But one thing that is true no matter the outcome is that you did everything you could to the end to fail, having failed trying not to.<br /><br /><i style="font-weight: bold;">Or you can just have your wishes and dreams</i>&nbsp;having tried nothing to make them real. <br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8441871-12638165" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-8441871-12638165" height="46" width="400" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-8441871-13169399" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-8441871-13169399" height="49" width="400" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-8441871-12401958" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.tqlkg.com/image-8441871-12401958" height="49" width="400" /></a>Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-50334497691165037232018-02-15T11:53:00.002-08:002018-02-16T03:33:50.783-08:00Nikolas Cruz: Another American Tragedy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NAqDCurMK6E/WoXkdueQNxI/AAAAAAAABZs/fT1xOdDW3longfQ1MN8y6ph_rHqoz6_MwCLcBGAs/s1600/cruz.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1179" data-original-width="1200" height="196" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NAqDCurMK6E/WoXkdueQNxI/AAAAAAAABZs/fT1xOdDW3longfQ1MN8y6ph_rHqoz6_MwCLcBGAs/s200/cruz.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><i style="font-weight: bold;">IT IS NO SECRET THAT I AM NOT A MAN OF FAITH. </i>I am not necessarily a true atheist in the purest sense of the word. I am simply one who does not proclaim to have the answer. But when we have an incident like the Las Vegas shooting, and the most recent school shooting in Florida, and untold numbers of multiple shootings that have occurred in the past, it always begs one lingering question for me.<br /><div><br /></div><div><b><i>HOW COULD A GOD WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE LOVING ALLOW HIS "CHILDREN" TO BE TAKEN IN SUCH A VIOLENT WAY?</i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div>I understand the argument that many Christians make about free will, and the forces of evil which drive madmen to construct and employ their mayhem. But I am still left with the thought that somehow, in some way, a God would intervene before innocent life is so violently left for dead.</div><div><br /></div><div>Whenever something like this happens I am both saddened and sickened by it. It just seems so pointless to me. And it seems that there will always be a story to be retold time and time again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Truly unfortunate in the course of these events as well is how many people, especially on the left, will immediately come out to proclaim that we need more gun control. Those of us who rely on logic to drive our thoughts and decision making know all too well that gun control is <i style="font-weight: bold;">not </i>the issue any more than the lack of it is the issue.</div><div><br /></div><div>The simple truth is that what we need more of are responsible gun owners with concealed and open carry who can be welcomed into our everyday environments who could be armed and ready when the need arises.</div><div><br /></div><div>You may not stop all deaths. But certainly someone with a gun can stop a madman with a gun much more quickly. The entire concept of a "gun free zone" has always been silly to me, at best. How does a rule or a sign stop a gun-toting maniac from entering a gun free zone with a gun? The travesty is that there may be responsible gun owners in the very classrooms being shot up who are hunkered under their desks while their guns are safely stowed in their cars in the parking lot.</div><div><br /></div><div>What we also know about gun control in general is that when you put laws in place to make purchasing guns more difficult it only stops the responsible gun owner who will never shoot a soul. The criminals intent on creating mayhem will get their guns one way or the other. And let's bear in mind that the black market that gets created is also a very violent place.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Think back to the days of prohibition.</i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div>What else is truly sad here is that while so many on the left will make the discussion about the guns, what gets lost is the <i style="font-weight: bold;">cause.</i>&nbsp;We need to be open about what is happening in our society that causes people to do this sort of thing. Can you stop even that? Maybe not. But at least if there is a discussion on the issue, it's going to be a much more honest and productive one.</div><div><br /></div><div>Whatever the case, all one can do is feel for the families who are dealing with, yet again, terrible tragedy and loss.</div><br /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8441871-12638165" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-8441871-12638165" height="46" width="400" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-8441871-13169399" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-8441871-13169399" height="49" width="400" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-8441871-12401958" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.tqlkg.com/image-8441871-12401958" height="49" width="400" /></a>Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-13500079853854026022018-02-13T12:00:00.002-08:002018-02-13T12:01:37.030-08:00Quick Shout: Hollywood Just Needs to Can It About Russia<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="en">I’m dumping my <a href="https://twitter.com/facebook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@facebook</a> stock and deleting my page because <a href="https://twitter.com/facebook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@facebook</a> profited from Russian interference in our elections and they’re still not doing enough to stop it. I encourage all other investors who care about our future to do the same. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/unfriendfacebook?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#unfriendfacebook</a> <a href="https://t.co/KHWgZzhhmp">pic.twitter.com/KHWgZzhhmp</a></div>— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) <a href="https://twitter.com/JimCarrey/status/960953156262744065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2018</a></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m5RVxIqNXFY/WoCJ8I7A_cI/AAAAAAAABZU/xvxYCW1XOJUEQLh-uCnBgLk3llhjSR0vgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/quickshout.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="56" data-original-width="172" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m5RVxIqNXFY/WoCJ8I7A_cI/AAAAAAAABZU/xvxYCW1XOJUEQLh-uCnBgLk3llhjSR0vgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/quickshout.png" /></a></div><i style="font-weight: bold;">WHEN WILL IT END, I WONDER?</i>&nbsp;I am to the breaking point when it comes to this continuing narrative by the MSM and some of these idiots in Hollywood that the Russians essentially stole the election from Hillary Clinton. The thing is that we all know all too well that the facts just <i style="font-weight: bold;">DO NOT BEAR OUT.</i>&nbsp;They are beating a dead horse. And it's just making them look even more foolish than we already knew they were.<br /><br /><i style="font-weight: bold;">YES, </i>it has been acknowledged that the Russians <i>did </i>pay for some ads. But what influence would that ultimately have? I mean think about it. <b><i>What influence did the fucking polls have on swaying republican voters that Donald Trump had no chance of becoming president to stay home?</i></b><br /><br />This is just becoming tiring and stupid. Puerile is a word that also comes to mind.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8441871-12638165" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-8441871-12638165" height="46" width="400" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-8441871-13169399" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-8441871-13169399" height="49" width="400" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-8441871-12401958" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.tqlkg.com/image-8441871-12401958" height="49" width="400" /></a>Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-22388671221968550732018-02-11T10:25:00.000-08:002018-02-11T10:25:16.526-08:00Welcome to the "Quick Shout" Segment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m5RVxIqNXFY/WoCJ8I7A_cI/AAAAAAAABZQ/PTW8HOobY0UvJjqpL2Oxtm_UCgtEEl3GgCLcBGAs/s1600/quickshout.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="56" data-original-width="172" height="65" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m5RVxIqNXFY/WoCJ8I7A_cI/AAAAAAAABZQ/PTW8HOobY0UvJjqpL2Oxtm_UCgtEEl3GgCLcBGAs/s200/quickshout.png" width="200" /></a></div><b><i>THE SPRINGBOARD WAS ALWAYS INTENDED TO BE AN OPINION DRIVEN RESPONSE.</i></b> Thus, as the title suggests, a good many of the posts found here spring from something happening or something said, and<b><i> The Springboard</i></b> essentially is responding to that. It's never been intended to be journalistic, and never was intended to serve as a<i> news source</i> even if to some extent a good bit of the content is<i> news driven.</i><br /><br />There are already enough sites and blogs out there that intend to deliver news. Here, this blog<i> responds</i> to it. Over the years of my doing this blog that really has not changed.<br /><br />One of my aims entering 2018, however, was to begin the process of increasing the content here, and make posts quite a bit more frequent. There are several ways I have begun to do this. And one of those ways is the introduction of a new "segment" of the blog I am calling<b><i> Quick Shout.</i></b><br /><br />As I have increased my participation on Twitter one frustration has always been that sometimes I'd like to have the opportunity to expand more in response to something that has been tweeted. While Twitter has obviously relaxed its character allowances among other things, it still can be rather limited.<br /><br /><b><i>Quick Shout</i></b> allows me to respond directly to a Tweet, or some other thing, do it in a more expanded manner, but still keep it short and sweet.<br /><br />It is not intended to<b><i> become</i></b> the blog. Regular posts will still be written as they were before. It is simply an<b><i> addition</i></b> to the blog content presented here. Most of the<b><i> Quick Shout</i></b> content will be geared to, and tied to Twitter. Why? Because its a great source for engaging discussions, and even retorts. And it offers a great source of material from which to<i> springboard</i> from and further those discussions in a more detailed, and lengthier fashion.<br /><br />Why have I decided to incorporate<b><i> Quick Shouts</i></b> into the regular blog? To me, it seems one can become bogged down trying to manage too many blogs, and because the nature and general format of this new segment are quite in line with the purpose and intent of<b><i> The Springboard</i></b>, it just seems fitting to me to keep it here.<br /><br />What I'd love to see with it is more engagement from my readers in the form of comments. One area that has been lacking here for whatever reason.<b><i> The Springboard</i></b> gets an enormous amount of activity. But for whatever reason has never driven comments.<br /><br />I think it should be an interesting new area of the blog, and hopefully you'll agree. We'll see where it leads us—and perhaps over time, as most things do, it may even evolve a little bit. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8441871-12638165" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-8441871-12638165" height="46" width="400" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-8441871-13169399" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-8441871-13169399" height="49" width="400" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-8441871-12401958" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.tqlkg.com/image-8441871-12401958" height="49" width="400" /></a>Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-19862040673704353002018-02-11T09:34:00.000-08:002018-02-11T09:39:41.689-08:00Quick Shout: Due Process Seriously Lacking For Accused<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="en">Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused - life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?</div>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/962348831789797381?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2018</a></blockquote><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QXcsEWBNlaA/VPer_jQSxCI/AAAAAAAAAss/OFsfBYx-dYYHIFlh1s486Z47jVXRbcJuwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/hopeless-morguefile-Penywise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="620" height="133" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QXcsEWBNlaA/VPer_jQSxCI/AAAAAAAAAss/OFsfBYx-dYYHIFlh1s486Z47jVXRbcJuwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/hopeless-morguefile-Penywise.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>All along since all of this began, or at least became notable with the Harvey Weinstein thing, I never once wanted to discredit the victims of unscrupulous men in Hollywood, or anywhere else for that matter. Molesters, rapists, and wife beaters should never be held above the law regardless of their social status, political affiliations, or how much money they have in their bank accounts. At the same time I<b><i> have also</i></b> felt that somewhere along the line we<b><i> have indeed</i></b> lost something in the way of due process. It seems to me that these days people can easily make an accusation, and once that accusation becomes public, true or not, in the eyes of<b><i> many</i></b>, and especially within the MSM, becomes a truth that can never be proven false regardless of what evidence may be there to disprove it.<br /><br />I want for people to be held accountable to the full extent when they do something untoward or vulgar. And I don't particularly care who it is. Democrat, republican, Hollywood elite on either side of that aisle, sports star, musician, or even the President of the United States.<b><i> But due process should still be something at least available to anyone who is accused.</i></b><br /><br />We begin to run down that proverbial slippery slope<b><i> without</i></b> due process since with all of the "popularity" of accusation in high profile circumstances, this could easily trickle down to the regular folks like you and I.<br /><br />What is to stop a subordinate, for example, of simply telling someone higher in the echelon that you touched inappropriately? And what's to stop that company you work for of making a decision to fire you based solely on the accusation, regardless of whether or not there is proof to back it up?<br /><br />People's lives and careers can easily be ruined. Something that<b><i> is fair</i></b> in the event that the accusations are true. But if there is no recourse for the accused to defend him or herself, and is only left to suffer the fallout of the accusation without due process, what kind of a world do we become? What kind of a society do we become? And just like how the left has virtually stymied the impact of real racism, before you know it the seriousness and impact of victims of sexual abuse and harassment becomes equally stymied.<br /><br /><br /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><br /><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8441871-12638165" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-8441871-12638165" height="46" width="400" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-8441871-13169399" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-8441871-13169399" height="49" width="400" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-8441871-12401958" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.tqlkg.com/image-8441871-12401958" height="49" width="400" /></a>Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-86774877008697140142018-02-11T08:32:00.002-08:002018-02-11T08:35:11.513-08:00Make Small, Local Business Your Valentine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oU3DrDALz44/WoBudDAaDII/AAAAAAAABYs/_3R_mkavkGQIHrWxURysBja10GTlNmIZgCLcBGAs/s1600/valentine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oU3DrDALz44/WoBudDAaDII/AAAAAAAABYs/_3R_mkavkGQIHrWxURysBja10GTlNmIZgCLcBGAs/s200/valentine.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b><i>WITH VALENTINES DAY RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER,</i></b> and with Valentine's Day raking in roughly $20 billion a year, spreading the love is not just telling that special someone in your life how much they mean to you—but can and should, in my opinion, also be a time for some of that love to be showered onto small and local businesses.<br /><br />Traditionally people will buy cards, flower arrangements, chocolates, and any number of other things. And many will even head out for a special Valentine dinner as well to top it all off.<br /><br />It's not the top grossing holiday for retailers and restauranteurs, but with $20 billion to go around, there's still quite a lot they can gain from lovers around the country trying to give their special someone something, well...<br /><br /><b><i>SPECIAL.</i></b><br /><br />This Valentine's Day perhaps consider using your local florist instead of opting for one of the big-boys like 1-800-Flowers or Bouqs. If your opting for something sweet, there are probably many small, local candy makers and bakeries who can whip up something special for your significant other.<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">When I lived in Milwaukee, for example, I frequently went to </span><a href="https://burkecandy.com/" target="_blank"><i>Burke Candy</i></a> for some delectable chocolate goodness. I'd also buy very nice and affordable gift baskets from the local&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wacheese-gifts.com/" target="_blank"><i>West Allis Cheese &amp; Sausage Shop</i></a> instead of opting for other, bigger company options. And depending on where you live, there are always some great choices for stand-alone restaurants to avoid the bigger chains like Ruby Tuesday, Outback, Olive Garden, and the usual common fare there.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oIKA_y2B3DA/WoBu1yPRMzI/AAAAAAAABYw/xN-EzB08vEM6p5fBxAqoFnnEepunyDFzwCLcBGAs/s1600/burkecandy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="126" data-original-width="310" height="81" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oIKA_y2B3DA/WoBu1yPRMzI/AAAAAAAABYw/xN-EzB08vEM6p5fBxAqoFnnEepunyDFzwCLcBGAs/s200/burkecandy.png" width="200" /></a></div><br />The main point here is that whenever possible I try to spread some of the love, and of course some of the money, to small and local business. In so many ways we benefit much more in our communities when we do this—and even beyond the holidays. More of the money we spend stays local and directly benefits the very communities in which we live. And sometimes nothing says love more than taking just a little bit of money from the pockets of the big-boxes.<b><i> Not that I have anything against big business mind you.</i></b> But since small business is the real giant when it comes to producing jobs in this country, it's a place you should want to spend your money to help to keep them alive, growing, and prospering. <br /><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8441871-12638165" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-8441871-12638165" height="46" width="400" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-8441871-13169399" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-8441871-13169399" height="49" width="400" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-8441871-12401958" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.tqlkg.com/image-8441871-12401958" height="49" width="400" /></a>Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-89520871301930088322018-02-04T07:51:00.001-08:002018-02-04T07:52:37.120-08:00Share Your Wares And Make Money<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n0y892e3yIY/S73gyGG6BGI/AAAAAAAAACg/4Jxou-Wn7t0dmOnshsigVUd5iuK7QvVoQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/dollar_bills_pile_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n0y892e3yIY/S73gyGG6BGI/AAAAAAAAACg/4Jxou-Wn7t0dmOnshsigVUd5iuK7QvVoQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/dollar_bills_pile_1.jpg" /></a></div><b><i>YOU HAVE A TALENT OR TWO, AND YOU WANT TO SHARE THEM.</i></b> I think that's mostly just a part of human nature. If you write a song and can play an instrument, and can even sing a little bit, you want<b><i> someone</i></b> out there to be able to listen.<br /><br /><b><i>AND THESE DAYS IT IS EVEN EASIER THAN EVER TO DO THAT.</i></b><br /><br />Back in my early days on the Internet, having a strong interest back then in the horror fiction industry I set out to start a<b><i> monthly online horror fiction magazine</i></b>, and to my surprise it actually became quite successful.<br /><br /><b><i>WELL, WHEN I SAY IT WAS SUCCESSFUL, I MEAN IT WAS POPULAR.</i></b><br /><br />This was the early 90's and AOL was primarily the "go-to" when it came to anything online. Anyone could create a website and put it out there for all too see. The problem back then was<b><i> monetizing</i></b> the whole thing.<br /><br /><b><i>FrightNet Online Magazine</i></b> was what it was called, and featured fiction from some great horror names like T.M. Wright, Douglas Clegg, Michael Laimo, and others. I eventually went on to publish a short story anthology called<b><i>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Whispers-Ivan-Ed-Graves-ebook/dp/B004SRGAN2/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_til?tag=springboard05-20&amp;linkCode=w00&amp;linkId=f5490373fdd2a893e832f2a7bee1a790&amp;creativeASIN=B004SRGAN2" target="_blank">Dark Whispers</a>.</i></b> I went by the name Ivan S. Graves doing the magazine and the anthology.<br /><b><i><br /></i></b>Several times I have considered restarting the magazine since nowadays monetizing is quite a bit easier, and even creating subscription based content is much easier now than it was when<b><i> FrightNet Online Magazine</i></b> had its day. But running the site was actually quite time consuming, and while I thoroughly enjoyed what I did, I am not sure I have the time these days to do it, nor do I particularly feel up to it.<br /><br /><b><i>BUT I STILL WANT TO MAKE MONEY ON SIDE GIGS, AND PROBABLY SO DO YOU.</i></b> It is a large part, besides enjoying writing, that I started this blog several years ago, writing about things I like to talk about like politics and money. And it is still hard to actually<b><i> make money</i></b> even with all of the affiliate programs and Google AdSense and all of that sort of thing.<br /><br /><b><i>THAT IS STILL THE CASE EVEN IF YOU GET GENERALLY GOOD TRAFFIC TO YOUR BLOG.</i></b><br /><br />So I decided to pursue another avenue. I also like to write music and do play the guitar, and depending on who you talk to, I am not terrible at singing either. Like many things, including my<b><i> style</i></b> of writing, my music is my own brand—it's different. And if you were to listen to my last album,&nbsp;<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/album/id/1080526628" target="_blank"><b><i>Pink Flamingoes</i></b></a>, or my iTunes single&nbsp;<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/album/id1149209667?ls=1&amp;app=itunes" target="_blank"><i><b>All You Are</b></i></a>, you will certainly see that.<br /><br />Does the music effort earn enough to pay the bills? Not hardly.<b><i> The truth is that the hardest part of any of these ventures is getting your wares out for people to take a look at.</i></b><br /><br />You don't have the marketing backing that some bloggers can afford, or that the music industry will provide its stars, and when it comes to music in particular, it is nearly impossible to get radio airplay. Still, the point here is that there are multiple ways to get it all out there. Sharing on places like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/jimbauerindie/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> or&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/JimBauer601" target="_blank">Twitter</a> is of course one place to do it. But for music there are also places like&nbsp;<a href="https://jimbauer.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://soundcloud.com/porwest" target="_blank">SoundCloud</a>. Although the latter does not pay anything, it is just a place to share and perhaps in some way introduce what you do to people who may be interested in checking a bit further and who<b><i> may</i></b> be interested in buying a bit of what you do.<br /><br />One of the keys, I think, is to keep plugging along despite it all. You never know, one day something may click and then the sky is the limit. It's tough, but you have to keep doing it. Keep playing around with what you are writing about, and keep on changing how you format it all.<br /><br />Like this blog, for example. Recently I decided to try something a bit different in the manner in which I was writing it. Using more "breaks" and boldface type and italics to set things apart and hopefully keep the reader reading.<b><i> And,</i></b> increasing the frequency of posts. The more you add to your blog, the more content obviously is generated, and the better the ranking your blog overall will get when it comes time to being catalogued and indexed.<br /><br />I recently read an article about a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.themoneyhabit.org/2017-income-report-made-money-blogging-side-hustle/" target="_blank"><b><i>28 year-old retiree who made a little over $62,000 in the first year of blogging</i></b></a>, and if nothing else it served to make me think that if nothing else,<b><i> at least it is POSSIBLE</i></b> to actually make<b><i> something</i></b> significant doing all of these things. Especially if you are able to do<b><i> multiple things</i></b> such as blogging, making music, and maybe even starting up a magazine like I did.<br /><br />Going back to the thought of restarting FrightNet still intrigues me if for no other reason than based on what I know right now, it could actually be the one thing, the one online endeavor, that might actually stand a chance of making the kind of revenue that that 28-year old retiree makes. Or more even. And certainly it could serve as another platform for some of my other stuff—which would of course have to be relevant to what I was doing there. I<b><i> could</i></b>, for example, market a song like<b><i> 102 Idle Stones, Voices,</i></b> or<b><i> No. 130 Melancholy in D</i></b> from<b><i> Pink Flamingoes</i></b> which do have a bit of a horror slant, or a song like&nbsp;<a href="https://jimbauer.bandcamp.com/track/what-i-want" target="_blank"><b><i>What I Want</i></b></a> on my&nbsp;<a href="https://jimbauer.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> which is certainly dark and sinister in nature.<br /><br />The main point of this post really comes down to one thing for me. Do what you love, share what you love, and hopefully someone will love what you do. If that happens, if people actually find that they love what you do,<b><i> someone may actually one day pay you for it.</i></b><br /><br />As I said before, you just have to keep on doing it. Not everything is going to be gold and one can't expect overnight success. Just like when you<b><i> play the lottery</i></b>, sometimes you even have to accept that no matter how often you play, you may never actually win...<br /><br /><b><i>BUT YOU CANNOT WIN IF YOU DO NOT PLAY!</i></b><br /><br />There is a ton of content out there, and there a ton of people out there all vying for attention. It's a tough field, and its tough to get the attention. It takes time like all things ultimately do. You have to have a lot of patience, and no matter the immediate or even long term outcome, you have to believe that what you are doing is still worth doing. No matter what happens. No matter who pays attention and who does not. No matter if you make money or you do not.<br /><br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ac&amp;ref=qf_sp_asin_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=springboard05-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B01BKXG4VO&amp;asins=B01BKXG4VO&amp;linkId=740ba4dc8c45f01f0fe653aee713d7aa&amp;show_border=false&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=false&amp;price_color=333333&amp;title_color=0066c0&amp;bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"> </iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ac&amp;ref=tf_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=springboard05-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B078X237NT&amp;asins=B078X237NT&amp;linkId=fc30535eb6147082ffb141d6d6044bfb&amp;show_border=false&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=false&amp;price_color=333333&amp;title_color=0066c0&amp;bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"> </iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ac&amp;ref=tf_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=springboard05-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1484143884&amp;asins=1484143884&amp;linkId=80a19acdcabc8ce3ec46ae6808d8df52&amp;show_border=false&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=false&amp;price_color=333333&amp;title_color=0066c0&amp;bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"> </iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ac&amp;ref=tf_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=springboard05-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B00CF3FZAU&amp;asins=B00CF3FZAU&amp;linkId=69822d792b54e04977dae31331dcf458&amp;show_border=false&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=false&amp;price_color=333333&amp;title_color=0066c0&amp;bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"> </iframe> <br /><a href="http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-8441871-12401902" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.tqlkg.com/image-8441871-12401902" height="80" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8441871-13210386" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.tqlkg.com/image-8441871-13210386" height="300" width="250" /></a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/RiRMxm-uIk8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RiRMxm-uIk8?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9G-swBD2-48/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9G-swBD2-48?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/V1fLLRQj6hk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V1fLLRQj6hk?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div><br />Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-46982364599621671992018-01-30T03:42:00.002-08:002018-01-30T03:42:37.714-08:00Ford's Recent Pullback A Hiccup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qhh1ROPkDrg/TEhOsqgq7zI/AAAAAAAAAEw/Og38jAfTj0k5pIkpRYbPoSuzxPg1ARWlgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/prettyford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="105" data-original-width="140" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qhh1ROPkDrg/TEhOsqgq7zI/AAAAAAAAAEw/Og38jAfTj0k5pIkpRYbPoSuzxPg1ARWlgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/prettyford.jpg" /></a></div><b><i>WILL I SELL MY FORD SHARES NOW THAT ITS STOCK HAS RECENTLY TUMBLED?</i></b> The simple answer is no. Absolutely not. Yes, they reported less in earnings in 2017 than they expected, and yes, they lowered their guidance for 2018, which sort of signals for any investor that the stock is going to enjoy another year of basically sideways trading.<br /><br /><b><i>A TRADING PATTERN THAT HAS PLAGUED THIS COMPANY FOR A VERY LONG TIME.</i></b><br /><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div>But all of the fundamental factors remain solid for Ford, and therefore I can see no reason to be a seller of the stock. There is going to come a time when investors finally get it, and when that day comes the stock will make a tailwind comeback that will be very profitable for anyone who has taken advantage of the long term sideways trend, and even the recent short term pullback in share value.</div><div><br /></div><div>Plus, when you consider that the company is still turning a profit, and is making very good inroads in continuing to improve its brand image, and trades at roughly just 11 times earnings, I think the shares are not necessarily cheap. But they <b><i>are </i></b>trading at what I think is a discount to the real value of the stock.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>AND SO THAT CONTINUES TO LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT FORD STOCK IS STILL A BUY AT THESE LEVELS.</i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i></i></b>At the end of the day when it comes to stocks, and your decision to buy, you really need to look at the balance sheets and dig deep into the earnings reports they provide, and <b><i>listen </i></b>carefully to what the CEOs of these companies see as the future of the company. Everything from Ford indicates that they are very forward thinking, and I think that's a good thing. And sometimes you have to read between the lines a little bit when investors react to certain announcements.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-8441871-12521593" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-8441871-12521593" height="150" width="150" /></a>If Apple reports 100,000 less iPhones sell than expected the stock tanks <b><i>even though </i></b>they may have still sold a bucket ton of iPhones. And sometimes a company reports stellar news, like IBM reporting breaking a 23-quarter streak of declining revenue only to see its shares drop by 4%.</div><div><br /></div><div>Investors don't always get it. Not the insider ones at least. But if you know what your stock's real value is, it matters little in the short term how investors react to its performance. You just have to plug along on Main Street and keep adding shares until the day comes—and it usually does eventually—that Wall Street catches up to the reality.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ford stock will be no different. Besides, until we are otherwise told, it still also yields a hefty 6% dividend while you wait.</div><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><br />Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-45466566662714189982018-01-26T12:57:00.000-08:002018-01-26T12:56:59.994-08:00Democrats Have Me Pissed!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tethNoC-2MI/WmuVSM7y6jI/AAAAAAAABXY/An9Cs7haLb8L0OyxT30lIjj-35U_rk0wACLcBGAs/s1600/PISSED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tethNoC-2MI/WmuVSM7y6jI/AAAAAAAABXY/An9Cs7haLb8L0OyxT30lIjj-35U_rk0wACLcBGAs/s200/PISSED.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i style="font-weight: bold;">IT JUST GETS A BIT OLD AND TIRED. </i>Three northeastern democrat states have decided to get together to file a lawsuit over what they say is an unfair tax overhaul that could cost their taxpayers billions of dollars. The <i style="font-weight: bold;">real </i>truth is that the only reason these states will have a negative impact unlike other states is <i style="font-weight: bold;">directly due to democrat lead economic and tax policy in their states.</i>&nbsp;In a nutshell, what the truth is, is that democrat leaders in these high tax states essentially took advantage of the former tax code and used it to rape their taxpayers out of billions upon billions of dollars <i style="font-weight: bold;">essentially because </i>the old tax laws technically&nbsp;<i style="font-weight: bold;">subsidized </i>those taxes at the federal level—at the expense of everybody else in the Union.<br /><br />Once again the democrats are making every last effort to put the blame in someone else's corner. The <i style="font-weight: bold;">republican party</i>. But anyone paying attention <i style="font-weight: bold;">knows all too well </i>where any blame should rightly lie. <b><i>On the democrat party.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>For years many state governments, mostly lead by republicans, have been working diligently to overhaul their own state tax laws to right their own economies, and encourage economic growth on their own <i style="font-weight: bold;">despite</i>&nbsp;stagnant growth and tax burdens on their taxpayers that were a direct result of failed economic policy during the Obama administration. And many of them succeeded. On the other side of the aisle, the democrats held course and raised taxes, burdened corporations with ridiculous regulations, and allowed the exodus of jobs while relying on the federal government to essentially bail them out of messes they created by design.<br /><br /><b><i>The gravy train these democrat states enjoyed has now derailed and they're mad as hell about it.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>But what gets under my skin <i style="font-weight: bold;">more than the lawsuit</i>&nbsp;is simply that once again democrats are engaged in doing <i style="font-weight: bold;">everything BUT the work of the American people</i>, and it is time they are held accountable for that. It is this constant defiance of the Trump presidency and everything he is working to fix, which is <i style="font-weight: bold;">CLEARLY WORKING </i>that just rubs me in so many wrong ways it almost makes me want to pound my fist.<br /><br />But I am a conservative. I am more level headed than that. I know this is what the democrats do, and I know it will never change. But I <i style="font-weight: bold;">do</i>&nbsp;want to see this country get back on track again. I want this country and its leaders to be able to see what is clearly different about the direction of the economy, to go back to the history books and see what is possible with lower taxes that happened under both John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, and to acknowledge that what we are doing now in terms of deregulation and tax reform <i style="font-weight: bold;">can only strengthen the economy, </i>and is the <b><i>only way we really give back to the taxpayers.</i></b><br /><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-8441871-12401894" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-8441871-12401894" height="125" width="125" /></a><b><i><br /></i></b>All this sort of thing does is distract from the real work that needs to be done. And it is another clear example of a completely divided two party system that simply is NOT working for the American people's interests anymore.<br /><br />I still believe in my heart that there is a reason why Donald Trump won in the first place. Because he is <i style="font-weight: bold;">not </i>Washington. He is <i style="font-weight: bold;">not </i>a politician. He is actually extremely smart and he knows what works when it comes to money. He knows how money changes hands best, and he knows who benefits when the wheels of the economy are well oiled and turning smoothly. And therefore he knows as well what holds that all back—<b><i>and he is fighting tooth and nail to make sure it works!</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>I believe the vast majority of the American people know this as well. What's more, even if they do not fully grasp it at this very moment, as jobs flourish, as manufacturing comes back, and as they see more opportunity for their own prosperity, and have a sense that their own lives are indeed prospering, all of the antics of the left will simply fall on deaf ears.<br /><br />That is my silver lining. But damn am I frustrated. <i style="font-weight: bold;">How is it possible these kooks on the left cannot see the obvious?</i>&nbsp;The truth is they <i style="font-weight: bold;">can </i>see it. They <i style="font-weight: bold;">do </i>know it works. They are hopeful their lie is made into truth in the eyes of the rest of us—<br /><br /><b><i>Because that is the very source of their power.&nbsp;</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>They will lose the lawsuit if it even gets seen by the courts. And history will prove once again that booming economies come from conservative economic and tax policy, and higher taxes hurt everyone—and even when the tax law changes in the high tax states, the effect of those high taxes hurts even more.<br /><br />What the democrats should be focused on instead of suing someone is going back to their own tax policies and trying to figure out how to put <i style="font-weight: bold;">working </i>policy into their own tax codes. Honestly, I'd probably fall over if they actually did the work.<br /><b><i><br /></i></b><b><i><br /></i></b>Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-68548711748785185682018-01-23T04:15:00.000-08:002018-01-23T04:15:13.377-08:00Timing For Amazon Prime Rate Increases Suspect<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nTy7E2xO-nk/Wmcl_80p1gI/AAAAAAAABWs/QKLoiKjnWGEy6Xc-GWzNlOSUiJJLu5swgCLcBGAs/s1600/bezosamazon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1050" height="133" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nTy7E2xO-nk/Wmcl_80p1gI/AAAAAAAABWs/QKLoiKjnWGEy6Xc-GWzNlOSUiJJLu5swgCLcBGAs/s200/bezosamazon.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b><i>I AM NOT CHASTISING JEFF BEZOS OF AMAZON FOR RECENTLY ANNOUNCING HE WILL RAISE MONTHLY AMAZON PRIME RATES—ALTHOUGH HE WILL KEEP THE ANNUAL AMOUNT AT $99—</i></b>but I do think that the timing of making such a decision may be a bit...well, <i>off.</i> The thing is not just that Amazon is nearly a trillion dollar market cap company, nor that Jeff Bezos recently took the lead in becoming not only the richest man in the world, but the richest man in history.<br /><br />For me the decision is simply a bit confusing considering that at the same time we have the Trump tax cuts which will no doubt provide a significant boost to Amazon's bottom line, if you look at all of the numbers for the company...<br /><br /><b><i>AMAZON IS NOT EXACTLY HURTING FOR MONEY.</i></b><br /><br />Amazon will be raising both its monthly prime rates from $10.99 to $12.99 and student prime rates from $5.49 to $6.49. That's an 18% increase for anyone who wanted to know, which I also think is quite a substantial increase.<br /><br />Back in 2014 Amazon did also significantly increase its annual prime membership from $79 to $99 a year.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8441871-12407696" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-8441871-12407696" height="400" width="106" /></a>While Amazon cannot be denied <b><i>anything at all </i></b>for its benefit to American workers seeking jobs, and ones mind you that don't pay all that poorly either, and they also recently announced they have narrowed down their options for a second headquarters which will provide upwards of 50,000 new jobs, they also have not announced any worker bonuses after the tax cuts became law, nor have they mentioned increasing anyone's wages.<br /><br />It should be mentioned that Jeff Bezos is also unusually non-philanthropic when compared to other billionaires on a percentage basis. Although he did recently announce offering $33 million to Dreamers for college—a bit of a controversial move no doubt.<br /><br />But it begs a question for me when you put both that donation for the Dreamers into view along with his decision to raise prime rates <b><i>and </i></b>not offer bonuses or wage increases.<br /><br /><b><i>IS THIS JEFF BEZOS' WAY OF STICKING IT BACK TO PRESIDENT TRUMP?</i></b><br /><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div>Because we all know that there is a bit of a rivalry between the two, and we all know that invariably there is no love from Jeff Bezos for Donald Trump.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Or</i></b> is this just another example of the <b><i>real greed</i></b> so many supposed "right wing rich" get accused of—but on the <b><i>left, </i></b>not the <b><i>right</i></b>, which by the way is usually how it actually goes. The greediest rich are often on the left, folks. And the rich on the left also tend to be far less philanthropic than the rich on the right.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>SO BEZOS FITS PERFECTLY WITHIN THAT COMMON FRAMEWORK.</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>At the end of the day I do not think it is a big deal, nor do I think that current or new monthly prime members will think it is either. I own shares in Amazon and I have no intention of letting go of them any time soon. As a shareholder price increases are typically welcome since they help to boost bottom lines, and that of course helps to boost share value.</div><div><br /></div><div>I only point out that I think the decision is a bit strange in its timing, and am very curious to know what the real basis for the decision was in the boardroom . We will never truly know of course. All we can do is speculate, and watch what happens next. Probably nothing. But it <b><i>is </i></b>interesting nonetheless.&nbsp;</div><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><b></b><i></i><br /><a href="http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-8441871-13156414" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-8441871-13156414" height="60" width="468" /></a>Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-48026189795822095832018-01-18T19:00:00.000-08:002018-01-18T19:00:44.791-08:00The News Will Claim American Express As An Example of Trump Failure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-miWBCD4rgSk/WmElLfkGf1I/AAAAAAAABWQ/bAeFtiZuh-ANf-dymv4973AioJ7dKsfTwCLcBGAs/s1600/amex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="800" height="123" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-miWBCD4rgSk/WmElLfkGf1I/AAAAAAAABWQ/bAeFtiZuh-ANf-dymv4973AioJ7dKsfTwCLcBGAs/s200/amex.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i style="font-weight: bold;">THE MEDIA HAS BEEN NEARLY ALL BUT SILENT IN REPORTING THOSE MULTITUDES OF COMPANIES WHO HAVE REPORTED EMPLOYEE BONUSES AND WAGE INCREASES DUE TO THE TRUMP TAX CUTS. </i>But you can bet there is <i style="font-weight: bold;">one </i>story that will make their news all day, and probably for a week or more, and that's American Express announcing that due to a $2.6 billion increased charge in taxes due to the Trump tax cuts, they will be suspending their share buyback program.<br /><br /><b><i>I say this even though in the eyes of liberals those share buybacks are just for the greedy shareholders anyway—that's not why they'll hit this one full force.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>It's a negative story in their eyes, and they'll want to point this out as the leading example that they are right and the GOP is wrong that the tax cuts will benefit anyone. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Even though STILL </i>American Express has also said that they feel the tax cuts <i style="font-weight: bold;">are </i>a benefit in the long term, good for the company, and good for America.<br /><br />The news media will assuredly leave that part out, or not highlight it nearly as much. It's what they always do.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-8441871-12407708" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-8441871-12407708" height="200" width="53" /></a>Just another reason to make sure that when you are following any news source, it is not the only news source. And you also have to make sure to cut through the smoke to get to the real truth of the matter. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Why is American Express incurring the extra charges?</i>&nbsp;In a nutshell it is related to <i style="font-weight: bold;">how </i>they were dealing with accounting under the old tax laws—and as a result their capital ratios changed.<br /><br />What else will not be reported? Invariably and assuredly the fact that they will also be making incremental contributions to their employee profit sharing plans to adjust for the differences. In other words...<br /><br /><b><i>American Express is eating the expense and NOT putting the burden on the backs of the people who work for them.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>There is really nothing at all negative about this story at all. No one is getting hurt. Not really. But I bet you the news will not tell you that. I'd be willing to wager a bet in fact. Just watch, wait, and see. It'll be all they can talk about and point to when they get their panels gathered to talk about the evil corporations and the <i style="font-weight: bold;">"Armageddon" </i>Nancy Pelosi warned us about.Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-19324871130061074042018-01-18T15:00:00.000-08:002018-01-18T15:00:12.196-08:00Trump Is NOT An Idiot!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fydpprAxTow/VYNYgLUVepI/AAAAAAAAAyw/Y7KAXESN-XUvhvTi3pTnEc3ZysSIcotMQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/trump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1322" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fydpprAxTow/VYNYgLUVepI/AAAAAAAAAyw/Y7KAXESN-XUvhvTi3pTnEc3ZysSIcotMQCPcBGAYYCw/s200/trump.jpg" width="165" /></a></div><i style="font-weight: bold;">IN NO WAY IS MY INTENT TO BE COMBATIVE HERE, FOLKS. </i>But as I troll around the Internet in the usual places like Twitter and Facebook, there is just the annoying assertion by a good number of people, and on both sides of the aisle (with the bulk of it <i style="font-weight: bold;">of course</i>&nbsp;pouring in mostly from the left and the lamestream media) that somehow President Donald J. Trump is an idiot.<br /><br /><b><i>This, folks, cannot be farther from the truth.</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>Look, I have said multiple times that I do wish our president would tone down his Twitter antics a bit. But I have also said that the person Donald Trump is today is the same Donald Trump he was <i style="font-weight: bold;">before </i>he became President of the United States.<br /><br />The thing here that needs to be pointed out, that gets sorely missed by many making this assertion, are the multitude of <i style="font-weight: bold;">accomplishments </i>this president has achieved and to point out that what he has done in his first year in office is actually rather historical. If you think it's just the economy he has done well with, you're just not paying close enough attention to what's actually happening in our government, and with <b><i>this current administration.</i></b><br /><br /><i style="font-weight: bold;">He's an idiot? He's not a leader?</i>&nbsp;Really? <b><i>What planet are you living on?</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b>Now, don't get mad at me for being so blunt here. Just read on and hear me out. Because I think it is important for you to be more than aware of why I think that President Trump is not only <i style="font-weight: bold;">not </i>an idiot, but is also a strong <i style="font-weight: bold;">leader. </i>Because the truth is that there is more than enough that is positive that's happening in the White House, and unless you are tuned into Fox News, you aren't going to hear the half of it.<br /><br /><br /><ul><li><b><i>Border crossings are down 70% since Donald Trump took office.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7TB9-TBMgPc/WmDAoPV7XXI/AAAAAAAABWA/ymIBH-fWPkII7n_P93liJofi8FG0nLjqQCLcBGAs/s1600/achievement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="474" height="149" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7TB9-TBMgPc/WmDAoPV7XXI/AAAAAAAABWA/ymIBH-fWPkII7n_P93liJofi8FG0nLjqQCLcBGAs/s200/achievement.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></i></b></li><li><b><i>MS-13 gangs are under heavy fire from the Justice Department.</i></b></li><li><b><i>Deportations of illegal aliens is on the rice, and law enforcement officials in ICE and Border Patrol have been strengthened.</i></b></li></ul><div>Even if we don't have good immigration reform right now, the fact is that more is being done than has been done in many, many years and across many past administrations to simply <i style="font-weight: bold;">enforce existing laws on the books. </i>This should make throngs of American citizens, <i style="font-weight: bold;">including legal immigrants, </i>very happy. This means less crime, less drugs entering the country, less burden on the American taxpayer for welfare and other benefits some illegals receive, and more jobs available for legal citizens across the country.</div><div><ul><a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8441871-11778446" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_top"><img alt="Sunfood" border="0" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-8441871-11778446" height="60" width="120" /></a><li><b><i>ISIS has been seriously depleted in their numbers.</i></b></li><li><b><i>Citizens of Iran are making an uprising in their country with the full support of the administration, and sanctions are WORKING.</i></b></li><li><b><i>North Korea is quieting down at least a LITTLE BIT, and have even reached out to South Korea in a way they have not before. I think Kim Jong Un is getting the message it might be better not to mess with the U.S. Something they would not have considered in the past administration.</i></b></li></ul><div>The truth is we have actually seen some stability forming in the Middle East. When you reduce the power of ISIS and build coalitions with other Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and Israel, it puts more pressure on the bad actors in that region to reconsider what they are doing, and it also empowers the <i style="font-weight: bold;">people </i>to push back harder against bad regimes and terrorist groups who make want only to maintain unrest and make the average citizen's lives miserable.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>I am not going to say that North Korea having a small part in the Olympics is any sign that <i style="font-weight: bold;">Rocket Man</i>&nbsp;still does not have a strong desire to lob missiles and strut his "might" wherever he can. But it <i style="font-weight: bold;">is </i>a start. It is also something I am not certain we would have seen had Hillary Clinton won the election.</div><a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-8441871-13169397" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-8441871-13169397" height="200" width="200" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>Now you might have noticed I have said nothing at all so far about the economy. Why? Because it is the obvious accomplishment—even if <i style="font-weight: bold;">even that </i>is seriously under reported by the lamestream media. But clearly you have historic lows in both Hispanic and black unemployment, more and more jobs being created, repatriation of overseas money, bonuses and wage increases, and of course an exploding stock market.</div><div><br /></div><div>And everything I have mentioned herein is just a small slice of what he's accomplished. The bottom line is that <i style="font-weight: bold;">if </i>you think that Trump is an idiot or not a leader, you <i style="font-weight: bold;">may </i>want to consider your own intelligence and perhaps schedule a psychiatric exam rather quickly. Your mental health may be in jeopardy.</div><br /><b><i><br /></i></b><b><i><br /></i></b>Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2855408205087880572.post-32162562712560916782018-01-17T15:00:00.000-08:002018-01-17T15:00:03.186-08:0020 Year Old Mega Millions Winner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xSRuexqXKyc/VhUvRO8IRVI/AAAAAAAAA2I/1wvANpjhaKoVtlnAYTsipoIpSQ4teP8DQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/moneyinhand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="150" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xSRuexqXKyc/VhUvRO8IRVI/AAAAAAAAA2I/1wvANpjhaKoVtlnAYTsipoIpSQ4teP8DQCPcBGAYYCw/s200/moneyinhand.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b><i>WHEN I READ ABOUT SHANE MISSLER, THE FLORIDA MAN WHO WON THE MOST REECENT MEGA MILLIONS JACKPOT, THE THING THAT STRUCK ME WAS HOW OLD HE IS.</i></b><br /><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div>He's just 20 years old! He chose to take the lump sum which amounted to about $282 million.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>But there you have it. You just never know who is going to win or where, and it matters little how long they have been playing, and in the case of many lottery winners, whether they play at all until they hit the big one.</div><div><br /></div><div>How many times have you heard a winner say, "I never played before, but something told me to buy a ticket this time."</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>UGH. I HAVE BEEN PLAYING FOR YEARS AND HALF THE TIME I AM LUCKY IF I EVEN GET MY WAGER BACK!</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Still, and I know it's as cliché as clichés come, <b><i>somebody has to win. </i></b>As I am a realist by nature, just based on the odds, I am practical in my thinking that perhaps no matter how often I play, or where I buy my tickets—I will probably never see a jackpot.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-8441871-13169400" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-8441871-13169400" height="166" width="200" /></a>It's funny little mind games you play sometimes too. For example, I travel into several other states for my job. And so I can buy tickets in Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Kansas quite often. <b><i>Sometimes</i></b> I think to myself, "Wow, this kind of increases my odds." In fact, about a year ago or so I had to travel to Fort Wayne, Indiana on business, and the jackpot of whichever multi-state lottery was kind of up there, and one of the town I passed through and did buy a ticket wound up being where the thing was won...</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>ONE WEEK AFTER I HAD BEEN THERE.</i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i></i></b>Granted, the store where the ticket was bought was also a different store, so while it was <b><i>close</i></b>, in reality it really wasn't. But in my mind? There was the <b><i>chance.</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>I am happy for Shane Missler. From what he has said he is doing to manage the money, and what he wants to do <b><i>with </i></b>the money, maybe he will come out as one of the ones who didn't squander it all away in short time. That is always the tragedy of big lottery wins—sometimes the winners lose it all.</div><div><br /></div><div>Either way, both the PowerBall and the Mega Millions have essentially reset. I will still play. I can't help myself. And hopefully one day I can be posting about my own big win. Only time will tell.&nbsp;</div><div><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div><br /></div><b></b><i></i><br />Jim Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01006512813543822031noreply@blogger.com0